


Blood of Night and Sky

by Mintonic



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Australian!Clarke, F/F, F/M, M/M, Romance, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-01 08:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6510235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mintonic/pseuds/Mintonic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke Griffin was selected to be the main subject of a strange experiment aboard the Ark. After years of cybernetic injections which turned her blood stream blue and enhanced her body's natural healing and strength abilities, a strange A.I. chip is implanted into the back of her neck at age seventeen. She keeps hearing light whispers and vivid areas in her dreams. Soon the purpose of the device will be known, and it will guide her into becoming a leader for her people after an unexpected crash landing on Earth. But how is the device connected to the history of the apocalypse, and why is the Commander of the Grounders equally connected to Clarke and the device?</p><p>Or</p><p>The AU where Clarke has the personality and accent of Elyza Lex, she's implanted with a device similar to 'the Flame', two seasons of Bellamy's character development isn't thrown away by a disturbing disaster of a third season, Finn doesn't massacre a village, beloved characters don't die for the sake of shock value, Clarke, Murphy and Lincoln are total bros, Clarke doesn't live a life of endless suffering, Raven is happy, Gustus is secretly a big softy, Lexa tries to conceal her romantic feelings but she's a blushing mess, Anya, Tris and Wells live.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Implantation

**Author's Note:**

> This honestly started out as a crack fic idea, but now I want this to be a full blown series. All of the characters are currently suffering or dead, and that needs to stop. If you want a series where Clarke is practically Elyza Lex, a series where she's the near equivalent of a Nightblood/Commander, (or some sort of leader with blue blood and an artificial intelligence device) a series where deaths from the show are ignored, if you want a series where Raven actually smiles more often (we need happy Raven and happy Clarke), and a series where Commander Heart-Eyes finds the love she deserves and isn't killed by an overused trope, look no further! Our favorite Sky people will kick ass and save each other. 
> 
> The Nightbloods are slightly different than canon. They heal faster than average, they have more adrenaline to burn, and they are stronger due to the cybernetics. The show hasn't exactly made the origins of the black blood clear, so in my canon, the Nightbloods are people who are born with cybernetics after short years minor evolution from the first Grounder Commander.

Angry shouts echoed from the main medical room. Blazing lights from the white ceiling and walls made the situation seem like more of a hazy hallucination than tormented reality. A crew of five medical doctors worked hard while examining the heart monitor and checking skin for suspicious marks.

"Touch me again, I'll knock your fucking head, you slimy wanker!" Hissed a raspy blonde girl with the accent of her long dead Australian ancestors to the female doctor with a scalpel. The doctor sighed in surrender as she placed the scalpel in the silver tray.

She was positioned in a cold hospital-like bed and faced headfirst into a pillow. Thick blue liquid poured out from the back of her neck and poured down into the white medical gown.

"We're just testing the chip, Clarke. Everything's going to be alright," a gentle masculine voice soothed. Clarke's muscles stopped tensing and relaxed. 

"Jackson, is it over yet?" The blonde groaned in pained frustration.

"Physical examination's over. The Council will talk to you," Jackson stated. As if on queue, the other doctors exited the room while Jackson unstrapped Clarke from the binds holding her to the bed. 

Clarke sat up as soon as she was free and rubbed the back of her neck. An incomplete infinity symbol marked the strange chip in her body which binded itself to her spine and central nervous system. Somehow, the cybernetics implanted in her bloodstream turned her blood into the deep light blue color of her eyes. The cybernetics were implanted first, when she was only ten years old, and the blue A.I. chip with a broken infinity symbol was inserted into her neck only days ago. Rather, the chip implanted itself with stretchy tail-like limbs after a strange incision was cut into the back of her neck.

The cybernetics were implanted by use of needles in her veins. Her arms were marked with light scars from years of this cybernetic procedure, and the procedures finally stopped when the chip was implanted only a week ago. A broken infinity tattoo marked the skin of the back of her neck, just in case a new doctor came in and needed to examine the area where the strange device was located.

"How are you feeling, princess?" Wells Jaha, son of Councilor Jaha, asked. Clarke rolled her eyes at the nickname. Being the daughter of Councilor Griffin gave the other teenagers on the Ark an idea of mock royalty. Wells was called 'prince' on occasion, but not as much as Clarke heard the sneering form of 'princess' on a near daily basis.

"Fan-fucking-tastic," she gave her close friend a pained toothy grin and gripped a ragged cloth to wipe the blue blood from her backside.

Wells sat beside her on the makeshift bed and reached for another cloth to wipe her neck. Bellamy Blake, one of the youngest guards, stood by the entrance of the room. Being the older sibling of his sister who always had to be hidden due to the Ark's strict one-child-only law and being one of the closest friends of Clarke made him overprotective with a strong watchful eye.

The freckled and once very soft and sensitive twenty-two year old grew up having to hide his sister from authorities and had to watch Clarke endure painful cybernetic injections along with the recent A.I. implantation. He loved his sister and friends dearly, and that was why he became a cadet for the Ark's militia. He needed some sense of security to be near Clarke just in case the procedure backfired or if she was in trouble for starting yet another cafeteria brawl. Just like his sister Octavia, Clarke was equally sick of having to live her full life on a slowly dying hunk of metal in the middle of space. Too many walls, too much authority, not much room to run in.

But unlike Octavia, who grew up in fear of being 'floated' by authorities, Clarke loved to defy and frustrate the people in power. Being the child of a Councilor, she was expected to behave like a perfect child. Instead, she caused brawls in the cafeteria, wrestled the hell out of a kid named Murphy one day over a packet of chips, (whom she befriended after she gained his respect from the fight, and he joined her close friend circle), gained five ring-shaped earrings on the shells of both ears and gained a tongue stud despite her mother's fears of infection, sketched tattoo designs, helped Murphy steal needles and ink, etc.

Suffice to say, Abby Griffin was often irritated with her child. Though she did not approve of the piercings in her seventeen year old's body, the music notes inked into the lobe of her left ear, nor the black birds etched into the left side of her chest extending to her left forearm, she still adored her daughter. And the Councilwoman would never find out about the nipple barbells, hopefully.

Clarke would mention the broken infinity tattoo that was practically forced on the back of her neck, indirectly calling Abby a hypocrite. Abby finally stopped her annoyed comments about the ink, and just told the girl to cover them since even the smallest of crimes would risk arrest or floating. But unlike the tattoos she illegally obtained, the broken infinity symbol, which were two twin loops with one filled in black and the other left empty, was a requirement to ensure doctors knew where the A.I. chip was inserted. It was a necessary mark.

Jake Griffin, despite his wife's disapproval, loved his daughter's piercings and tattoos. "She's a rebel, honey. An artistic, rebellious teenager. She's as frustrated with life on the Ark just like the other teenagers. She'll grow out of it eventually," he would say.

As if. Clarke Griffin would never give up. Rebellious as John Murphy, protective like Bellamy Blake, sweet like Wells Jaha and as eager to see more to life just like Octavia, and the stubbornness of Abby Griffin during her own teenage days, Clarke was as relentless as the hurricanes on Earth.

Bellamy entered the room and gave his friend a small shoulder squeeze. "I thought I would have to separate you from that woman with the scalpel," he smiled softly, then lifted up the hair from the back of her neck.

The new wound was already healing and left a simple white scar under the tattoo. The cybernetics in her blood stream advanced healing processes significantly, something she was grateful for whenever she willingly sat through the irritation of Murphy's slow needle prods. 

"Commander Shumway wants me to patrol the halls for the rest of the week. I think I'll take Octavia to the masquerade party two nights from now," the freckled man stated.

Octavia's existence was a secret between Bellamy, Wells, Murphy and Clarke. The sheltered girl lived under floorboards in the prison cell of a home. Once their mother ventured away, Bellamy would invite Wells and Clarke inside. Wells taught the brunette how to play chess and Clarke told her stories of the brawls she had with other students. Murphy would exaggerate the stories with his own tales of rebellion.

In a metal land where oxygen was crucial and any minor crime could result in arrest or floating, Clarke was somewhat lucky. The Council needed her for whatever reason because of the chip. Abby was the Chief Doctor and part of the Council, yet she held back the real reason of the implantation the girl was forced into. "Just an experiment," she would say.

Clarke turned towards her older friend and smiled. "Hopefully Wells and I will see her. She needs to socialize with people besides us."

"She can't stay in that small enclosed space forever," Wells added.

The door opened. Abby, Jaha and Kane entered.

Jaha gestured to Bellamy and pointed at the door. Bellamy took the hint and exited the room, though he guarded the closed door. Abby placed a firm but gentle hand on Jackson's arm, telling him to stay without using words.

"Clarke, honey," Abby's thick accent echoed in the room, "It's time to tell you the truth."

"Not getting the full truth, I bet," Clarke mumbled slightly.

Abby walked towards her daughter with gentle steps. "You're right, it's not the full truth."

Jaha sat between Wells and Clarke on the makeshift medical bed. "Clarke, Commander Shumway was the first person who went through this experiment. His body rejected the cybernetics and his blood stream wasn't affected. Before his body rejected them, we tried to insert the chip into his body. But the chip rejected him. So when we slowly injected you with the cybernetics over the years," he frowned at the sight of the needle scars on the girl's pale flesh, internally regretting the suffering he made her endure, "we were shocked when your blood stream turned blue. It's the same shade as the chip, and your eyes. The cybernetics are meant to prepare your body for the chip, and the chip accepted you."

"Accepted me? So this thing has intelligence? Explains the dreams," Clarke sighed and subconsciously rubbed the healed incision.

Jaha touched her arm gently. His contact was readily accepted due to the closeness between his own family and the Griffins. "Yes. These strange appendages sprawled out of its own body and hooked itself into your spine to join your nervous system and mind."

"So, Chancellor, why exactly is it inside of me? What purpose does it serve?"

Kane spoke up and nervously ran a hand through his voluminous short black mane of hair. "That's another topic for another day. But remember this; the chip rejected a man of authority, yet it accepted you as its host. That's something you should keep in mind."

"A little mini artificial intelligence device is inside of me and I still don't know why. Just fucking peachy," Clarke rolled her eyes.

____

 

Light pattering noises echoed in the dimly lit recreation room of the Ark. Clarke skilfully sketched images of Earth animals, the same animals from the textbook photographs of Mr. Pike's several Earthen history and Civics lessons. The teacher, Mr. Pike, had the voice of a leader. Every word he spoke drew the students in curiosity. He could make boring topics such as cell structures sound strangely charming. When Clarke was a child, she admired the way he could inspire minds with a few simple vocal notions, and strived to be a leader just like her favorite teacher, and just like her mother, Chancellor Griffin. The teenager's constant rebellious urges often contrasted with her instinct to lead. 

Clarke swore this heavily detailed building, sketched from a memory ingrained from lucid dreams full of soft whispered voices, was more than a coincidence. The building reached several stories high, and a large angry red flame outlined the puffy smeared smokey charcoal marks at the top of the structure.

"Princess, is this the building from your dreams?" Wells asked quietly. 

"Yes. I can see it so clearly," Clarke rubbed her temple anxiously in thought. Wells gazed at the piece of paper. After being close with Clarke since the days they first learned how to walk, he was still often surprised with her gift of art. 

Just as he turned in his chair to leave, Clarke gripped the sleeves of his red leather jacket with her own black leather-enrapped hands. "Wells, I'm scared. Ever since they placed this thing inside of me, I keep hearing voices and I keep seeing things. It's like someone's trying to show me something. But it's more than one 'someone'. I hear multiple voices. It's scaring the shite out of me!"

Wells enveloped his hands into Clarke's. He spoke softly, in an attempt to soothe her. "What are they saying? What else do you see?"

Clarke swallowed as she gathered her thoughts into words. "Sometimes they're like little whispers. They tell me I need to lead. But lead what, exactly?"

She pulled one hand out of Wells' grip and used it to prop her arm up and hold the weight of her head. "I can barely lead myself. And they tell me to learn from everyone I'm close with, like it's trying to observe you all."

"Maybe the A.I.'s trying to learn about human interactions. And you carry yourself pretty well." Wells smiled fondly at his friend and added, "You have Bellamy, the man who constantly worries about his mother and sister, you have Octavia, who's still pretty damn happy despite living in secrecy, you have Murphy, who somehow gets into worse situations than you, then you have Jasper and Monty, with their secret moonshine operation and herbal drug production."

Clarke's worried frown curved into a playful grin. "When did I become the leader of this merry band of misfits? Aren't I supposed to be a 'princess?' "

"You're the opposite of royalty," Wells teased. "Come on, we should head to our homes before the guards start their nightly patrols. We need to stop breaking into the rec room."

"Yeah, whatever, 'prince'. See you in the arvo."

____

The following day was full of extensive physical tests. Wells, Jackson and Abby watched a large room serving as a gym from the glass window. Clarke ran viciously on a treadmill and boxed with Mr. Pike, who shouted with words of encouragement every time she managed to strike him. She punched the punching bag so hard, its grip from the ceiling loosened and fell to the solid floor.

Jackson whispered, "Looks like the cybernetics are strengthening her senses and spiking her adrenaline," to Abby.

The older Aussie woman nodded in agreement. "I hate to put my daughter through this, but she's the only one whose body didn't reject the procedures."

Murphy entered the room from the small locker area. He smiled mischievously at Clarke before running towards her. Clarke shared the smile with a toothy grin and eyebrow raise before she collided into his body with a strong shoulder bump and held his arm up as she knocked him to the ground, stomach first. She pressed a sneaker to his back lightly.

"Jesus," Murphy laughed "Good thing you weren't this strong when we met! You could have knocked the air from my lungs."

Clarke pulled him upwards with her arms.

Mr. Pike tapped his own chin thoughtfully at the display of strength. 

____

"Give me that tinny," Clarke motioned towards the metallic can in Jasper's arms. The curly-haired and goggled boy handed her the can. 

Wells, Murphy, Monty, Jasper and Clarke watched Earth from the large window in the hallway. Since Bellamy was asked to patrol the hall at night, the group got away with drinking and watching the view. The cameras in the area long since shut down to store electricity. 

Bellamy soon left and returned with Octavia. The group of misfits shared drinks and watched the breathtaking view.

"So, guys," Jasper began, "Do you think we'll go back there someday?"

Monty sighed sadly. "I hope so. What do you think, Octavia?"

The bright-eyed brunette sat next to Clarke and crossed her legs. "It's frustrating to be cooped up in this station. I want to be-"

"Free," Clarke finished. The two girls shared a sad smile. 

"To 'maybe someday'," Bellamy said as he rose his can.

"To 'maybe someday'," the group echoed and clanked their cans together before taking a long sip.


	2. Unity Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke makes a new discovery about herself before she helps Wells and Murphy plan the Unity Day masquerade party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, amazing readers! I did not expect the first chapter to be full of kind comments. Thank you for exploring this new world I'm attempting to create.

"Yeah! Go get 'em! Touchdown!" Jake Griffin shouted from the light brown leather chair residing from the living room. 

"Dad, you've watched this game before! This is from the 90's!" Clarke groaned as she entered the space and plopped next to her father.

Abby stepped out from the kitchen and straightened out her white robe. A few people in the past few days developed odd symptoms. Weaker vision, in particular. But all of the civilians on the Ark received a few enhancements to strengthen eye sight and prevent against common illnesses back when the stations were first boarded all those ninety-six years ago, so everyone should have developed immunity against such things. 

"Yes, but this is one of the best games in history!" Jake exclaimed. Both father and daughter faced each other and gave the classic Griffin grin; otherwise known as the classic open-mouthed smirk and left eyebrow raise.

"You mean... the one when one of those cheerleaders flashed the crowd?"

"Yes, honey."

"God, you two are too similar!" Abby laughed and shook her head. Clarke was definitely Jake's child. 

Jake stood up from the couch and walked towards his wife. "I only have eyes for you. I only mentioned the cheerleader for Clarke's amusement."

Clarke stared at her parents and opened her mouth in mock offense. She crossed her arms over her white tank top clad chest and rose her hand up to close her fist in a tight ball and she was just about to lift up her middle finger when Abby quickly approached in a fast pace and closed her own hand above her daughter's fist.

"We do not swear in this household, Clarke."

"I wasn't saying anything!" 

"No swearing in body language, either."

"Why the fuck not- oh, fuck."

The words slipped out of the teenager's mouth before she could think her sentence through. Abby reached for a glass jar with the words 'Swear Jar' written on a yellow sticky note from the coffee table. The doctor lifted up the jar just inches from Clarke's face expectantly.

Clarke grumbled quietly and reached for her brown wallet from her left pocket. She pulled out a large silver coin engraved with the words 'valid as Ark currency only' and shoved it in the slot of the jar. Abby shook the jar after the coin plopped in with a jingle, reminding Clarke she swore twice. The younger blonde rolled her light blue eyes before plopping another coin in the frustrating inanimate object.

Abby sighed and placed the jar back on its rightful place on the table and folded her arms across her chest. "Where did you learn to swear like a sailor? We're in space, not the sea."

"Friends. And annoying situations make me more vocal," Clarke responded. "Why didn't you mention my words two days ago after the Council came to talk to me?"

Abby placed a hand on her daughter's right shoulder. "You were under stress from the chip examination. I didn't want to stress you out more than you already were."

"You can ease my stress by giving me a straight answer," Clarke sighed and retook her seat on the couch to face the large tv. She pretended to be interested in the ancient football game to avoid the tension building inside of her stomach.

Abby and Jake shared a concerned frown. Jake didn't have knowledge of the purpose of the chip. No one outside of the Council knew its purpose, and it wasn't allowed to be exposed. Jake's worry and fear hounded his mind each time his daughter was strapped to the medical bed and injected with strange cybernetics. His body ached in near paralyzing concern when he watched the chip implantation from the viewing window. His own wife, the mother of his child, could never explain why this strange technology embedded itself inside of Clarke's neck and attached itself to her spine. That was a sight he would never forget. He never wanted to see his child's skin rip apart and expose the bones, which grew to a light blue color to match the blue cybernetic blood. Jake wished these strange procedures weren't necessary. 

The man nervously curled his fingers in his floppy dark hair and cleared his throat to kill the awkwardness in the air. "So, Abby, do you think the vision weakening might be the symptoms of an epidemic?"

Relieved for the topic change, Abby breathed out a huff of air and she didn't realize she held in. "I'm not sure. They seem to have normal blood pressure. We scanned the food and nothing seems to be contaminated, nor the water supply or filtration systems."

Clarke stood up from the couch and stretched out her black jean-covered legs. She spoke as she headed towards the door and held it open for the busy doctor. "I'll ask if anyone's sick."

Jake spoke up, "It's Unity Day. Aren't the kids having that yearly masquerade party in the rec room?"

Abby added, "I'll be busy in the medical center. Jake will be in the Engineering wing if you need him. Just don't get into too much trouble," she smiled softly, then squeaked out a loud "Shite!" as her left foot snagged the rug. Jake quickly ran towards his wife and grabbed her in his large bulky arms before she hit the floor.

"Tsk, tsk," Clarke clicked her tongue and shook her head in mock disapproval. "Swear jar, mom."

____

Since the current day was a holiday, classes wouldn't be held. Clarke checked the nearby clock hanging from the metal hallway. One PM. She grinned and ran towards the trading center. Octavia wasn't able to come out of hiding at the moment, but that didn't stop her from formulating a plan. 

A table stood in the center. A basket full of multiple glittery masquerade masks sat still on the surface. Clarke loved this tradition, and it would conceal her friend's identity. The blonde reached for a light blue one for herself and a larger darker blue mask for the shy girl. The mask would hide the upper half of her friend's face. Perfect.

Jasper approached Clarke with a gleam in his friendly brown eyes. Clarke smirked and nodded towards him. The friends turned around to find Monty, who sat down at a far away table with Murphy. They all shared the knowing grin. Tonight, Monty and Jasper would introduce their homemade beer and herbal drug experiments to the rest of the Ark teenagers. Clarke made a mental note to prevent Octavia from consuming either product. The mousy brunette had her fair share of beer whenever she was able to escape the solid confinements of her home, but drinking during her first teenage gathering would probably be overwhelming.

Clarke pocketed the masks in the large pocket of her leather jacket and made her way back into the halls. She passed by Bellamy and shoved the dark mask into the left pocket of his guard jacket. He nodded towards her with silent appreciation and brushed her shoulder with his own as they walked into separate directions. The hall was too public and they needed to avoid suspicion with the extra mask.

As the blonde entered a dimly lit hallway which did not seem to be occupied, she wheezed from a sudden odd sensation. Blood roared and rushed into her keen ears as adrenaline rushed into her veins.

' _I barely did anything to cause excitement. What the hell?_ ' she thought to herself and held in a deep breath. She began to hear a pulsating hum surrounding her, then trembled when she realized her body began to vibrate. The noise was anything but subtle. The metal floor shook from the vibrations. 

A frustrated feminine voice called out, "Who the hell is playing dubstep at this hour? Too early for this shit!"

Clarke would have agreed with the owner of the voice if this odd new discovery didn't decide to happen. A lean muscled girl with dark brown hair stuffed into a messy ponytail stepped outside of the left room. The annoyed glare in her dark eyes faded when she saw the cause of the vibrations. 

"You're Griffin! No wonder you sound like a friggin Transformer." The girl crossed the hall to gripped the blonde's forearms with gentle arms.

Clarke wasn't phased by the girl's realization. After the constant brawls in the cafeteria, most of the other kids must have noticed the blue liquid pouring out of newly torn skin. She had to explain the multiple cybernetic injections to prevent rumors about herself being an alien invader or some type of demon. 

"Look, my name's Raven Reyes. I can help you. I think. Let's just give it a shot." The girl named Raven kept one hand wrapped around the blonde's wrist and led her into the room she came from. 

Clarke propped herself on a metal table. Every surface on the entire ship was metal. She grew to be so sick of feeling so restrained in this place. Her muscles craved the space to run free, to explore, to fulfill her body's urges to go free. She silently hoped last night's 'maybe someday' toast would become reality in her lifetime. Earth would be the ideal place to run free. She could unleash her artistic skills by gazing at the ground, examining trees, and maybe if animals survived the apocalypse, she could ride a large one and claim it for her own possession. Like a horse. Or maybe a giraffe. She laughed at the thought, then quickly silenced herself as her body's vibrating increased.

Raven ran steady fingers alongside the pulse point on the blonde's skin. "The cybernetics are getting really antsy. How are you feeling?"

Clarke sighed, trying to form a sentence. "It feels like.. I don't know. It feels like I'm a living sub-woofer."

Raven removed her hand and a smile tugged the corners of her mouth. "No, I mean," she pressed a hand into the girl's forehead, "how do you feel in there?"

"My mind? It feels calm. Nothing's important on my mind." The vibrating finally ceased. With a satisfied cheer, she rose her hands up and shouted, "Time to get the rec room ready for Unity Day!"

"Alright, but just try not to destroy anything, Ms. Decepticon," Raven smiled and walked towards the door entrance.

"As long as you don't get in my way, Ms. Autobot," Clarke gave the famous Griffin grin and exited the room. Raven snorted loudly beside her.

'em>Maybe I should talk to Mom? No, she's busy as hell. Maybe Dad? Probably busy checking the air temperature. Wells and Murphy, then,' the blonde thought quietly to herself and pulled her jacket tighter to her chest as she walked past a few guards. Although her flock of birds tattoo piece was pretty widely known by now, she didn't want to risk endangering herself. She brushed locks of hair over her ears to hide the ear piercings and inner ear music note tattoo.

____

"Vibrating, huh?" Wells stood on a chair, and to Clarke's dismay, it was made of metal. The sight gave her the feeling associated with listening to the same annoying song on a daily basis. 

The red leather-jacket clad teenager pinned a 'Unity Day' banner to the left corner of the room. Murphy pinned the opposite side and leaped off his own chair.

"So, um," Murphy scratched his wavy dark hair, "you're not going to go all Terminator on our asses and slaughter us, will you?"

"Jesus, Murphy," Clarke took a sip from a metal can, "You know I'd go against my own programming to save your scrawny arse. If I had programming, that is," she took a second sip and placed the can on a nearby table.

Wells took the can in his hands and took a long gulp. "I just wish my father would tell me anything. He's the Chancellor. He has to know everything."

Clarke sat on the table and dangled her legs. "Ya know, ever since the cybernetics completely blended with and took over my blood, I've felt different."

Murphy propped himself next to her on the left and Wells took a seat on the right. They gazed at their friend patiently, probing her to continue.

"You've probably seen my energy bursts. I kick faster, I never use all of my strength to hit Pike when he's sparring with me because I'm afraid of knocking his jaw off, and I sprint through the halls when sparring isn't enough to kill the adrenaline rush."

Now it was Wells' turn to scratch his head in thought. "What about the voices? And the images? Do they show you anything new?"

Clarke buried her face in her hands to muffle an agitated groan. "They've gone silent. I need answers."

The men wrapped their arms protectively around her shoulders. The close friends sat together in silence. Twenty minutes passed and they rose their heads to the sounds of sloshing liquid. Monty and Jasper entered with two large buckets of their famous moonshine. Nathan Miller followed silently, along with Zoe Monroe and Chelsey Harper. Bellamy stepped in and winked at his friends before disappearing in the hallway.

Wells hopped off the table. "Bell probably offered to patrol the hall. We can party without authority!"

Murphy beamed and high-fived him. "It's going to be a wild night, my friends."

____

Loud trance music echoed in the giant speakers. Crowds of over-excited teenagers and young adults cheered whenever the bass dropped. 

Monty and Jasper bumped their fists together when people lined up to try their moonshine. In the corner, Clarke spotted Miller fidgeting with his hoodie's zipper. A light blush tinted his face and he stole a quick glance to Monty before turning back to his zipper. Clarke's eyes lit up. She knew that look.

' _Gotta hook 'em up sometime. Miller's shy as hell. No way he'd be open about his feelings on a busy night like this_ ,' she thought to herself.

Clarke did have the occasional crush, but she managed to flirt her way through. But unfortunately, none of them managed to make her feel that little 'spark' that the other teenagers beamed about. Then again, she just turned seventeen a week before the chip attached itself to her spine. She wanted to spend her days trying to understand the chip's purpose and her own needs before she could even think about having a serious relationship.

The only people she loved were her parents, despite the weird A.I. bullshit her own mother practically forced, and Wells, but she adored him in a close friendly sense. Besides, Wells wasn't exactly her type. Clarke craved a woman's touch. 

Raven called out, "Griff, come on! You gotta try this shit!" The mechanic pushed a metal tin in the blonde's hands. 

"I know, Reyes! My friends made this. But they won't tell me how," The girl's upper lip quirked in brief agitation. 

Jasper nudged her side with his hip. "A master bartender never reveals their secrets."

"You egotistical arse," Clarke nudged back playfully.

A low rumble made its way through her body. "Shit," the blonde hissed.

Raven handed Jasper her can and grabbed Clarke's shoulders. She spoke with a slight slur in her voice, but she was still aware of her actions.

"Griffin, I'll take you out in the hall. Maybe Sinclair can figure out whatever the hell's happening to you."

"Raven, you're safer with Jasper in here. I don't want you to stumble in the halls." Clarke gave her friend a shoulder squeeze and mouthed, 'Keep an eye on her' to Jasper before exiting the room.

She gave friendly smiles to a few passing Ark kids. Octavia and Bellamy arrived.

Clarke quickly pulled the bright-eyed brunette into a tight embrace and pulled away to straighten the lopsided masquerade mask over the girl's nose.

"There. Now you easily blend in," Clarke spoke softly, "just don't drink or take suspicious plants or anything like that. Stick with Jasper if Bell has to leave. Jasper's sober at the moment. If anyone tries to put their hand on you without your consent, let either of us know and I will make 'em suffer," the blonde flashed a determined smile.

"I'll slaughter them first," Bellamy declared.

Clarke gripped his shoulder, "That's the spirit, Bell!"

"So, why are you leaving?" The freckled man examined his friend's body with concerned eyes. He searched for hand imprints or traces of blood.

"Relax, I didn't start a brawl this time. I just need to clear my head-" The girl cried out when her body resumed the strong vibrations.

The sensation became more powerful compared to the first experience. Now her own mind began to shudder and pulse.

"I need to see my dad," She held her head in her hands, gritted her teeth, pulled her hands away and sprinted toward the engineering wing. Her body began to pulse louder each time a foot touched the floor. 

' _The fuck is this? Am I about to perform a bass drop or some shite?_ '

Disaster would strike for four close friends within ten minutes of her absence. The rising adrenaline and her destination distracted her from the horde of guards approaching the hall of the Unity Day party. 

____

"Dad! I-" Clarke violently punched the engineering room open. The vibrations ceased without warning. But her terrified thoughts vanished when she saw her father kneeling beside a meter test. Clarke walked towards him and sat on the floor to see the meter.

"Oh my god," the blonde wheezed and stared at the meter in horror. Etched in virtual red font, the angry words imprinted themselves on the screen and blocked the other words. ' _Low-medium oxygen'_.

The girl folded her hands in her lap and whispered, "So that's why there's a growing number of weakening vision. Lack of oxygen?"

"Yes," Jake closed his eyes tightly, "We probably have a year and a half's supply of oxygen left."

A low hum echoed in Clarke's veins, but it wasn't enough to vibrate the floor or her own body once more. "Does Mom know? Or the Council? Chancellor Jaha? Kane? Any of the doctors? Jackson?"

"No," Jake opened his eyes to meet his daughter's worried gaze.

"We have to tell them. They need to know," Clarke whispered softly.

Jake wrapped his arms around his daughter's frame. He felt a light vibration, but he chose to ignore it for the importance of the topic.

"Clarke, listen to me. Look at me," the blonde met his eyes with her own, and he continued, "I agree with you. This is a life or death issue. But everyone would panic and we don't want to risk riots, do we?"

"Well.."

"Clarke."

"Sorry, continue," the blonde sighed and smiled sheepishly.

"Let me figure out a way to tell everyone. But until that time comes, don't tell anyone. Between you and I, the Chancellor's a bit execution-happy these days." Jake rubbed his tired eyes, "did you notice more kids are being locked up for really minor crimes?"

"No, actually. Better warn Murphy," Clarke sighed and hugged her father before exiting the room. All thoughts of her body's strange development were forgotten. Now, she could only focus on the impending doom. She thought of Octavia, and the toast from last night.

There was no way in hell Clarke would die in space, no way in hell she'd let the younger Blake die without experiencing freedom beyond concealing her own existence, and no way the determined blonde would die without understanding the chip's purpose.

As if on que, the blood rumbled again. Clarke rolled her eyes. Now this thing was an irritable pain in the ass. She exited the engineering wing and crossed several halls towards the so-called 'home' she shared with her parents. She opened the door, locked it tight, kicked off her black combat boots and plopped herself into bed. 

As the overwhelmed blonde drifted into sleep, a low voice murmured inside her head, ' _Find the Fleim, Skaiblida. Unite as one_.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skaiblida- Skyblood  
> Fleim- Flame


	3. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions increase aboard the Ark. Clarke tries to understand the meaning behind the random vibrations while Lexa discovers she is not the only one who has a 'Spirit'.

Quiet laughter, the press of objects sliding across a solid surface and the shaking of water in metal cans could be heard from the dimly lit recreation room. Wells attempted to teach Clarke how to play chess while the Aussie descendant in question attempted to speak a word in a typical 'American' accent.

"Admit it," Wells slid his 'Knight' piece up front, "you can't say 'Unity Day'."

"Yes, I can! If I can bench-press Murphy and make a dent in the wall with a fist, I can fake an accent and pronounce our most important holiday!" The blonde grumbled in frustration as she observed Wells' move.

Wells paused, mimicking the famous 'Griffin' grin, twisted his lips into a smirk with his teeth showing and rose an eyebrow. He spoke in her raspy voice and accent, "You deadass can't, mate."

"I'm gonna kick your arse," Clarke snorted and lightly smacked the grin off her best friend's face, "you're not even doing it right! You gotta stretch out your lips to the side- oh, god, not like that! The Joker would adore you, though."

Wells wiped off the chess pieces from the board into a small ziplock bag. He stopped laughing, then met Clarke's confused gaze with a worried one. Clarke tilted her head and folded her hands. 

' _Something's not right. He only gives me that look when shite hits the fan,_ ' she thought to herself.

Wells cleared his throat and swallowed. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Clarke, the party got really messy after you left. Did you see the guards after Bell and O came in the room?"

Clarke replied, "I think I saw Shumway and a few others when I headed to Engineering. Why?"

"Clarke, look at me. I need you to stay calm. Don't break anything," Wells tugged the collar of his red jacket nervously.

Clarke tightened her own black leather jacket. She gripped his hands into her own. "Wells, what the hell happened?"

"There was a solar flare alert. Shumway arrived and told everyone to show their IDs. And well," he gulped.

"Octavia doesn't have.. oh, fuck," the blonde released her grip on his hands. The blue eyes that previously shined from amusement began to cloud with worry.

"Bell took his shock baton out, just in case, and Shumway noticed. Bell begged Shumway to let Octavia go. But since Bell was just a cadet and not a guardsmen yet, he wasn't allowed to be granted 'special favors'."

"'Was?'" Clarke gripped the edges of the table. 

"Octavia tried to run. The guards captured her and arrested Bell. I saw Bell this morning. He was stripped off his cadet status and forced to become a janitor. Their mom was interrogated. Ms. Blake was floated, Octavia was arrested."

"Oh god, no. She's already lived in literal near-captivity all her life! Fuck, I should have been there, I could have saved her," The blonde blinked away unshed tears, and added in a softer voice, "I'm just glad Bell wasn't floated."

Wells leaned against his chair. "Monty and Jasper were also arrested. The guards could smell the beer on everyone's breath. But they weren't arrested for that," he sighed and shook his head, "Their 'experimental plant' was discovered. A few people tried to pocket it in an effort to save them, Miller included. Harper and Monroe went along with it. That mechanic you're friends with, Reyes? She said everyone was searched after I left. So I'm guessing Miller, Harper and Monroe were arrested too."

"I missed one hell of a shit storm," Clarke sighed, "I might need Murphy's help to sneak into the Skyblock. I have to make sure they're being treated safely."

"I think you should talk to Murphy. He seemed really quiet and antsy this morning. He barely spoke a word besides 'Tell Clarke to meet me at the gym'."

"Thanks, Wells," Clarke gave him a sad smile and stood up to push her chair in. She took a gulp of water, instantly missing Monty and Jasper's moonshine. 

____

Murphy sat on the metal bench inside of the gym. Clarke stepped inside the room and took a spot next to her close friend's. Murphy didn't give her that shit-eating grin he usually always wore. Instead, his eyes focused on the ground and his hands were fidgeting. 

"I heard what happened to our group," Clarke cleared the silence.

Murphy kept his focus on the floor.

Clarke shuffled closer to her friend's slowly collapsing form. She gripped his hand softly.

"Murphy, I'm sorry. I should have been there to stop the arrests."

"No, princess, you would have gotten yourself into trouble," Murphy's solemn frown turned into that playful grin Clarke searched for, "There's only a few of us left. You, Wells, that new girl Raven, and I. Raven's friend Finn was arrested for wasting oxygen on a spacewalking trip a few days ago. I bet she hides under all that work and snarky attitude."

Clarke tensed slightly from the mention of oxygen. She remembered her father's horrifying discovery from the night before. She was grateful that Murphy didn't seem to notice the way her shoulders tightened. 

"So, you looked a little tense before I walked in. Wells said you were waiting for me."

Murphy's grin faded as quickly as it appeared. He clasped his hands together to keep them from shaking. "My dad was floated this morning. I probably should have stayed home, but I needed someone to talk to."

Clarke's eyes widened in shock. She wrapped her hands around Murphy's in a small attempt to console him. 

He whispered quietly, "I've been sick for a while. But the symptoms aren't physical. The doctors still aren't sure what's wrong with me. My dad was caught stealing medicine from the medical wing."

Clarke squeezed his hands gently. "Why didn't he order a prescription?"

Murphy averted his friend's eyes and tilted his head downwards. "Medicine's being rationed. It's hard to get medicated now."

' _Rationed? The Ark's loosing supplies_ ,' Clarke thought quietly. 'The inventors of the Ark should have brought more equipment before the bombs hit'.

Clarke whispered softly, "You should be at home with your mother. She needs you."

"'Needs me?' She won't even look at me. She's drinking so much. Too much." Murphy held in a quiet sob. 

"It's okay, Murphy. You're okay, I'm here." Clarke wrapped her arms around Murphy and held him tightly. 

____

Clarke walked away from the gym two hours later. Now she understood why Murphy barely uttered a word to Wells. Wells' father was the Chancellor, the man in charge of the Council and the whole station, and the man in charge of executions. 

The strange voices during an unconscious state, the repeating images of a large structure with a red flame hovering over the very tip, the sudden vibrations, Jake's horrifying discovery and the arrest of a few close friends happened within one day. 'Overwhelming' would be an understatement. 

Clarke gritted her teeth behind her lips as she walked past Commander Shumway. They nodded toward each other, and as soon as Clarke ventured back into the rec room to meet Wells and slammed the door shut, she cried out.

"Motherfucking fuckstick! Son of a-"

"Calm the hell down!" Wells pressed the palm of his left hand over Clarke's lips. 

That didn't stop the angry blonde. She continued shouting, or rather mumbling, into his hand. When five minutes passed, the words finally died.

"Calmed the hell down yet?" Wells asked, staring at the clock in the corner of the room before turning his eyes back to his friend's.

"Mmhhm," Clarke mumbled. Wells slid his hand off and walked towards the table he previously sat by.

Clarke swallowed a gulp. "Murphy's father was floated. Did Jaha tell you?"

"No, he didn't." Wells bent his legs to sit on a metal chair.

' _Motherfucking metal. Hate it,_ ' The blonde thought to herself before joining him at the table.

She gripped the desk firmly in her hands. The oxygen secret haunted her once more. All these people she grew close with, and mere strangers, would die or grow to be more unhealthy eventually. Time was a tricky factor.

"Something else bothering you?" Wells asked softly.

Clarke debated two sides in her mind. On one side, Wells was the son of the most powerful person in space. One simple crime and any adult could be floated without trial at this point. On the second side, Wells was her childhood best friend. He arrived in her life before John Murphy, Jasper Jordan, Monty Green and the Blake siblings. She could tell Wells anything without judgement. Wells was the most trustworthy person she knew besides her father. 

"Look, Wells, if I tell you something, you can't tell anyone. Not even your dad. No one," Clarke reached for his hands.

"You can tell me anything," Wells gripped the hands covering his own.

"Last night, before the shit storm at the party happened, I spoke to my dad. He found something important. It's huge. The oxygen supply's decreasing. I saw it myself on the meter. There's about a year and a half's worth left."

"Holy shit," Wells gripped the hands tighter before releasing them.

"And another thing. One of the voices spoke to me. It sounded more clear this time. Long story short, my body's been vibrating. I thought it was just in my head until the floor shook in my presence. I think," Clarke took a deep breath and swallowed, unsure of her following words, "the cybernetics are completely fused with my body now. I feel different. I hate close spaces more than I usually do. It's like my body's screaming at me to run, or find something. I still don't know what the vibrations mean. I get this massive adrenaline rush out of nowhere and I can't stop it. And the voice? Why did it speak to me right after I spoke to my dad?"

Wells watched his friend. He tried to distract himself from the impending doom. The decreasing oxygen levels were to be a closely guarded secret, at least until Clarke or Jake spoke out about the it. 

He resumed the grip on her hands. "What did the voice say?"

"It said something along the lines of 'Find the Flame. Unite as one'. And it called me," she squeezed her eyes shut as if it would jog her memory. "Sky bleeder? Sky blider? It had an accent of some sort and I couldn't pinpoint it. But why did it speak right after I spoke to Dad?"

Wells struggled to find an answer before replying, "There's no way this is a coincidence."

Clarke nodded in response. "It's like _'it'_ knows. Maybe the words are a warning. But what's the 'Flame'? And how do I unite with it? I'd rather not burn myself."

"You're definitely connected to something big," Wells said.

"Right, yeah, maybe," Clarke nodded and stood from her seat. She squeezed Wells' hands and exited the room.

' _Well, whoever you are, or whoever you all are, I'd really appreciate some clear answers. Starting with, what the hell are you? And why do I need to find something resembling fire? I'm in space. I live in a hunk of metal doomed to become a death trap. Where the hell would I find fire?_ ,' Clarke thought to herself, hoping to hear or at least see something. But only silence remained, and the voices were silent as ever.

____

A woman nervously twirled a dagger between the fingers of her fingerless gloved hand. Her face scrunched up in thought as she thought of the strange things she had heard as of late. Long braided brown locks of hair swished as she turned her face towards the source of clanking boots across the hall.

" _Heda_ ," a tall woman with high cheek bones greeted. She bowed down. Locks of dirty blonde hair cascaded downwards.

"General," the girl in the throne acknowledged, then called to the guards surrounding the room with spheres, "Leave us."

" _Sha, Heda,_ " the guards spoke in unison and exited the room.

" _Leksa_ , you look troubled," the woman with high cheekbones observed. She stood from the floor and walked towards the girl on the throne.

Lexa's deep green eyes gazed up towards her former mentor before gaining a stoic composure. "I don't know what you're talking about, _Onya_."

Anya sighed, "You're just as stubborn as you were when you were my _Sekon_. Come on now, tell me the truth." 

Lexa rolled her eyes. Only Anya could see through the mask she wore, the mask she often used to display an emotionless persona.

Anya pressed on, "Is it the _Mounaun_? Their activity is increasing near _Trikru_ territory."

"No, not them. But their presence continues to aggravate me," Lexa placed the dagger on the left side of her throne before continuing, "The past _Hedas_ have spoken to me. They say to 'find the _Skai_ ', to unite with and protect it, as well as allow it to protect me. What can this mean?"

Anya tapped her chin in thought. "Do the past _Hedas_ show you anything?"

"They show me glimpses of a cloudless sky. But I still don't understand. My blood has been more active lately, and the _Nightblidas_ are becoming more anxious each day. It's as if we're all sensing something."

Lexa sighed in defeat. This cryptic message only stressed her further.

" _Heda_ , if I may," Titus called and stepped into the room. 

Lexa gave the bald man a long blink and slow nod to signify her acceptance. Titus approached the throne.

"A few of our scouts spoke with a historian. There is another Spirit," he chose his words carefully.

Lexa's eyes lit up. She turned to Anya, who shared the same shocked glare, and turned her head towards Titus.

She whispered quietly, "This cannot be. How? There is only one."

"This one is different from the _Fleim_. The historian discovered some type of research lab. This Spirit is missing. We believe someone has it. We are not sure what it is called, but it's either in someone's hands or it has chosen someone." Titus swallowed a gulp.

Lexa gripped the dagger and twirled it once more. "How is this one different?"

"The texts claim the first _Heda_ created it before she fell from the _skai_ ," he explained.

Anya chimed in the conversation. "Do you think her plans and texts fell with her? Perhaps- no, it is a silly thought."

"No, _Onya_. I would like to hear this thought." 

" _Sha, Heda_. Perhaps, there were others in the _skai_? _Skai people_?" Anya hoped she did not sound as childish as she felt.

Titus crossed his arms. " _Skaikru_? Beings who live among the stars? A strange thought, but not an unlikely one. And maybe they have the Spirit?"

Lexa stood up from her throne and walked towards the balcony. Her green eyes met the sky. She watched in curiosity.

"That would explain the message. But how will I unite with _Skaikru_ if they truly exist?"

Anya spoke softly, "In time. For now, I must go to train Tris. The _Nightblidas_ should accompany us."

Titus nodded. "I agree. Training with _Nightblidas_ can strengthen Tris' endurance. _Heda_?"

"I need a moment," Lexa spoke.

Titus and Anya bowed before they exited the room. Lexa gripped solid railing. The strange glimpses in her dreams, and the cryptic message had to mean something. Soft vibrations hit the floor beneath her. She hadn't experienced the amounts of strong vibrations since the days before she became _Heda_. ' _Perhaps we are connected, Skai Spirit. You and I will unite someday._ '

___

"It's happening again!" Clarke hissed as she allowed Jackson to monitor her vitals. The bed beneath her rumbled noisily. 

Abby dashed into the room. "Honey, are you okay?"

"I sound like a fuckin' stereo! How do you think I feel?" Clarke groaned.

Abby lifted the hair from the back of her daughter's neck. "How long has this been occurring?"

"Yesterday. I was in a hallway and my body just started feeling more alive, ya know? I had this really intense adrenaline rush. But I didn't do anything to cause it. Next thing I know, my head starts humming, my blood boiled and my muscles ached to do something. Humming gets louder, floor starts vibrating, this mechanic said I sounded like I was playing dubstep before she figured this out," Clarke shrugged off her jacket and allowed her head to fall on the pillow of the hospital bed.

Jackson wrapped a blood pressure cuff around the blonde's left arm. He began to pump it and allowed the cuff to squeeze her skin. As he examined the meter, Clarke's adrenaline resumed the intense pumping of her heart. Blood rushed through her ears almost violently. The vibrating grew intense and echoed through the room. 

Jackson murmured, "You really do sound like you're playing dubstep."

Abby added softly, "Should we ask Pike to come here from Farm Station? He could test her new developing strength."

"I'm still awake, ya know. No need to act like I'm not here," Clarke grumbled through the pillow. 

"Your organs and bones are now completely fusing with the cybernetics," Abby observed. "I believe the vibrations stem from the urge to pit something against yourself."

"So I crave battles?" Clarke guessed.

"No, you crave intense exercise. We'll have to double your training. The vibrations will worsen if you don't calm them down."

"What happens when I fight?" Clarke turned around on the bed. 

Jackson shared a glance with Abby, then replied, "We're not sure yet. That's why we need you to spar with Pike again."

"So you can keep tabs on me?" Clarke sat up, not shying away from her anger. "I'm not some kind of object. I can't spend my whole life being an experiment. Just because you forced me to go through with this doesn't mean I have to like it."

"We know, Clarke," Abby sat next to her daughter, "but the chip only accepted you as its host."

"Only because you injected me with cybernetics. And now I feel like I'm becoming a robot with human skin," Clarke spat. 

"The cybernetics accepted you. They chose you. For some reason, you're the one meant to-" Abby paused mid sentence and closed her mouth.

"Meant to what? Tell me, please, I need to know," Clarke gripped the sheets of the bed firmly between strained fingers.

"I can't tell you. Not yet," Abby spoke softly, "but maybe someday."

Clarke began to hate those two little words. ' _Maybe someday? More like empty, lazy, half-empty promises_ ,' she thought in silent anger.

Sensing the agitation in the room, Jackson quickly changed the subject. "Um, so, how was the Unity Day party?"

"I lost a few close friends," Clarke stood up from the bed and walked out the door.

_____

"Dad? Can we talk?" Clarke called from outside the Engineering room. Jake opened the door and gave the classic 'Griffin grin'. Clarke returned the playful facial expression. 

"Honey, I think I know how to deliver the news. I'll call for a gathering in the main cafeteria," Jake grabbed his daughter's shoulders. Clarke returned the motion and hugged her father.

"Sweet, when do we tell them?" A spark danced in her blue eyes.

"No, you'll stay with your mother. This is too dangerous, Clarke," Jake's soft eyes drifted into a stern glance to further make his point.

Clarke snorted, "Since when has that ever stopped me? We're in this together."

Jake sighed, knowing his daughter would never back down. She had too much of Abby's stubborn attitude in her genes. Clarke's lips widened. The safety of their people would be safe. Plans could be debated and created, the Council would be forced to give in to the Ark's demands, and hopefully everything would go smoothly.

Father and daughter walked down the Engineering wing and entered the hall leading to the cafeteria. People loudly chatted with each other, little kids ran around in a game of tag, a few teenagers sat on a few benches, and she spotted Bellamy wielding a mop in a corner. Because of the arrests of her friends, the floating of Bell and Octavia's mother, Clarke's once rebellious hatred for Commander Shumway grew into angry hatred. 

Clanking of steel-toe boots distracted the blonde from her thoughts. In one fast second, guards forced Jake to face the wall, out of sight from the cafeteria, and cuffed his wrists. Jaha and Abby appeared. Clarke's heart pounded irritably beneath her flesh.

"What's going on?" She managed to say under forming tears. The guards, the Chancellor and Abby glanced at each other, but did not speak. Abby wrapped an arm around her daughter firmly, but gently. 

' _They know. Wells was the only person I told. He.. betrayed me,_ ' Clarke thought. Her emotions sputtered between fear, confusion and anger. She stared coldly into Chancellor Jaha's eyes firmly, but he did not speak. The group walked towards an empty corridor and stopped near the airlock. 

The guards released the cuffs from Jake's wrists. Unable to conceal her fear, Clarke ran towards her father and wrapped her arms around his body. A few tears trickled down her cheeks as Jake whispered, "It's okay. You'll be okay. You're strong, Clarke."

She reluctantly pulled away from him. Abby was the next one to grip Jake's body in sadness. Jake whispered quietly, "I don't know what her purpose is and I never will. But make sure she reaches her goal, and do not push it."

Abby murmured softly, "She'll make you proud, Jake. I promise you that."

"I would always be proud of her," Jake repressed a small sob. He refused to let his wife and daughter see the sadness in his eyes.

He pulled back and stepped backwards into the airlock. He unstrapped his watch and threw it on the floor. Clarke grabbed it and strapped it to her own wrist. 

"May we meet again," Jake whispered. He smiled brightly, showing the famous Griffin grin.

Clarke whimpered softly until she burst into loud tears. Abby pulled her into her arms as the front of the airlock closed. The back opened and Jake's body disappeared into the starred darkness of space.

Guards pulled Clarke away from her mother. 

Jaha spoke, deep regret and sorrow in his normally confident voice, "You are being arrested for treason." 

More guards poured into the halls. Clarke trashed against their grips until a shock baton rendered her unconscious. 

A low voice in her mind murmured, ' _Patience, Skaiblida. Your journey is far from over_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sha, Heda- Yes, Heda/Yes, Commander  
> Mounaun- Mountain Men  
> Trikru- Tree people/Woods Clan  
> Skai- Sky  
> Nightblidas- Nightbloods  
> Fleim- Flame  
> Skaikru- Sky people
> 
>  
> 
> Just for the record, I believe Jaha did what he thought was right for his people throughout his reign as Chancellor in the first season. Currently, I'm not too sure about how I feel about him in the third season. I stopped watching the show after the disaster of plot holes and disturbing deaths occurred, and as much as I'm pissed off that the Spirit of the Commander's reincarnation mention from season two was retconned in favor of the A.I. story line, I'm curious to see how it ends and if Jaha will realize he's being brainwashed.


	4. Time Lapse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke adjusts to living in solitary confinement. Although, she's not completely solitary. She grows uneasy with odd bits of information from sneaky mechanic Raven and from the chip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay!  
> I'm just so disgusted by the show. Numerous plot holes, unneceary deaths, and apparently the Grounders are bloodthirsty under Ontari's reign. It's just like season one all over again.  
> And before anyone asks, hell no, Bellamy will not sleep with teenagers in this fic, unlike in the show. I never realized how old he really is in canon and I'm so disgusted by that. He was great in season two. Apparently he's always been toxic since the start.  
> Anyway~ This chapter contains the time line between the day of arrest and ends at the first day of living on the ground. Clarke will gain strength, Raven will be her clever sneaky friend, and we'll see what the chip has in store for her.  
> The song 'Bloodlust' by KillSonic came to mind before I had the idea for this fic. The noises in the song are what Clarke physically and mentally experiences when the vibrations occur. This is not a song fic, so listening to the song is not a requirement. Just thought I'd throw that in there.

Two days passed before the anxious rumble of hyper-energetic blood continued to stir and roar once more. A rush of vertigo flew into Clarke's head as she opened her bright blue eyes and peered through the metal bars to investigate her surroundings. The blonde kicked one leg out of the uncomfortable prison bunk and tumbled on to the floor. She stared at her reflection on the floor and snorted in disgust.

' _I was born in a metal heap of shit and I'll die in this place too,_ ' she mentally grumbled. She stood up and brushed dust from her navy-blue clad legs. Odd choice for prison garments, but after ninety seven years in space, she couldn't exactly blame the guards for not being able to acquire proper prison attire.

She walked across the cold hard floor with bare feet and gripped the metal bars in soft hands. She could easily break them due to her enhanced strength, but what good would that do before she was recaptured? She wasn't strong enough to take on armed guards yet. She finally surpassed Mr. Pike's strategic blocks only a few days ago, and she could bench press John Murphy, but an army of possibly trigger-happy assholes with shock batons and guns could still overpower her.

Clarke's irritated thoughts vanished as a figure in spacewalker gear approached her cell. The figure in question removed the helmet from padded shoulders, revealing a face of a familiar snarky brunette.

"Reyes!" Clarke gasped in a harsh whisper, "It's ten at night! What are you doing here, Ms. Autobot?"

Even after the small amount of time the two teenagers spent together, there was an unquestioning growing friendship forming.

Raven's dark eyes brightened and the corners of her lips tightened into a playful smirk. She wrapped a hand around one of the bars, leaned in closer to Clarke and whispered, "I came here to fix a handful of faulty systems."

"And the real reason?" Clarke repeated Raven's action and slipped a wrapped hand on the bar Raven claimed.

"Well, Ms. Decepticon, I needed to check on Finn and that weird diverse group of friends you've been leading," Raven's playful smirk re-curled into a gentle form of concern, "and I needed to fill you in on some details they wanted to share with you."

"Reyes, you're part of this weird diverse group of friends," Clarke smiled fondly at the slightly older girl, "please tell me everything you know."

"Since they're not in solitary like you, they meet up at the sky block cafeteria every afternoon. They miss you. They have no idea why you're in solitary, but as soon as they heard the news from Miller's dad, they panicked. O was shaking, Finn and Miller had to practically shove Murphy's face into the table with his hands behind his back to prevent him from punching someone, and-"

"Wait!" The muscles in Clarke's arms tensed and locked up, "Murphy was arrested?"

Raven swallowed the impending knot in her throat. She spoke in a soft tone, trying not to worry her friend, "Murphy's mother drank herself to death. I'm sure you know why. She told him he's the reason why Alex, his father, was floated. She said, 'you killed him', before her last breath."

Clarke flinched away from the bars. Anger flashed through her mind. She wanted to hate Murphy's mother for blaming her own son for a caring father's death, to blame her for drinking herself into a stupor just days before her own arrest, but she couldn't. Some people have different ways of coping. The flash of anger subsided, and a spark of concern replaced the bitter feeling. She reclaimed her spot on the single metal bar, slowly opened her eyes and nodded, as if to tell Raven to explain.

Raven stared down at the floor as her mind constructed thoughts into words. She returned her soft gaze to Clarke's concerned eyes. "Murphy found out who arrested his father. He set the officer's quarters on fire. He was arrested for arson."

A single tear trickled from a deep pool of blue and slid down the blonde's cheek.

Raven murmured gently, "He tells me you're the only person who really 'gets' him. That you're close because you share the same will to rebel and fight under the Council's noses, despite you practically being a 'princess' since you're Abby's kid. Speaking of which," Raven's lips turned into the playful smirk Clarke easily recognized, "I'm also here because she sent me. She says you need to exercise daily by repeating what Pike showed you. Your blood's probably annoying the hell out of everyone here. Abby said the vibrations get worse when your body isn't in motion or when you're aggravated."

Clarke's eyes dipped into a confused frown, "When the vibrations first started, I did nothing to trigger it. Why did that happen?"

"Jackson mentioned something about the chip reacting strongly to something. Maybe it sensed you were in danger," Raven guessed.

Clarke's shoulders tightened and her eyes lightened in realization, "That explains why I was practically a bass machine before dad told me-," she ended her sentence with a wince as her blood began to boil.

"Tell me when you're ready to speak. I can tell you're not ready to talk about it," Raven assured. "Just remember to exercise daily. Maybe you'll learn something new from the chip. I'll come back whenever something new happens," she gripped the blonde's hand firmly in a physical gesture of a promise, then placed the helmet back on her head. She smiled through the helmet's slightly translucent view and walked away.

___

Two months passed by rather quickly. Every two weeks, Raven would arrive with colored pencils and charcoal sticks to quell Clarke's artistic hunger. Raven shared news and verbal messages from the lesser confined delinquents while Clarke would perform push-ups.

The more she exercised and increased momentum, the more the vibrations tuned themselves to breathing patterns and body movements.

On the second Saturday of the third month, Raven spoke about how Octavia began to shed the skin of an insecure girl who lived under a floor panel and became more outgoing.

"She's still shy, but she's impro-" A few bassy thuds interrupted the brunette's train of thought. She stared at Clarke, who gaped at the new discovery.

Clarke moved her feet three steps closer to the bars, and every step she made, the bass noise repeated itself.

"Holy shit! You can intimidate whole armies with that noise," Raven barely contained her excitement.

"Maybe if I can gain control of the cybernetics, I can make each step louder," Clarke murmured.

"Just be careful. Don't make the guards shit themselves," Raven whispered before gripping her helmet and leaving the Sky block.

' _Make them shit themselves? Challenge accepted,_ ' Clarke thought quietly.

During the fourth day of the fourth month, two guards did indeed shit themselves.

_____

The eleventh month slowly passed by. Clarke worked herself out to the point of exhaustion. She pressed her knees into the solid floor, leaned against the bunk bed and closed her eyes. She reopened them and gripped a charcoal stick to mark a thin black line on the floor.

"One more month until I'm floated," she spoke aloud. She dropped the charcoal stick and closed her eyes. A masculine voice broke through her silent thoughts.

' _Klark kom Skaikru, chil au. Ste yuj. Yu kom fostaim Heda's keryon_.'

Clarke clenched her fists from the sharp pronunciation of her name, but ignored it for the sake of communication.

' _I don't understand what you're saying_.'

' _Klark, there are matters that you must discover on your own. But know this; yo gonplei nou ste odon. Your fight is not over. You have an important role to play very soon_.'

' _Well, that's not cryptic at all_ ,' Clarke replied sarcastically. She swore she could feel the owner of the voice roll his eyes from her tone.

' _Patience, Skaiblida. Patience is a strong virtue. You must learn how to wait before acting._ ' The voice faded. An image of tall trees and grasses entered her mind. She opened her eyes and scanned the dark room for utensils. The image burned itself into her head. She stood up on her feet and sketched outlines with the charcoal stick, then filled the outlines with tones of greens and browns. An image of a white statue came next. The statue was in the form of a bearded man in a sitting posture. The rest of the statue was chiseled into a chair shape. Clarke sketched it, then filled in the trail of grass and dirt next to it.

' _Abraham Lincoln_ ,' she realized as she stared at the prominent beard and tall body. She traced her fingers over the trail, then filled in back outlines with hints of brown.

The masculine voice returned, ' _The trail leads to the city of TonDC. It is a Trikru village. Heda will arrive shortly after your descent_.'

' _Why are you showing this to me? You mentioned Heda before. Who or what is Heda? And what do you mean, my 'descent'?_ ' Clarke racked her mind for answers.

' _Patience, Klark. You must master it. You will receive answers when you are ready._ '

Clarke dropped the colored pencils and threaded her hands through her loose hair. She released her left hand from her wavy hair, then proceeded to lightly stroke the glass of her father's watch. The timed device long since stopped working, but the dead device provided comfort of a memory. She sunk down to the floor on her knees and choked out a quiet sob.

____

One week passed. The walls of the cell were covered in detailed sketches of earthen animals that existed before the bombs fell. Plaited scorpions crawled through desert sands, horses stood proudly among green landscapes, and the strange tower-like structure from a mental image Clarke hasn't seen in nearly a year covered up the whole back wall.

"Psst, Clarke!" Raven tossed her helmet from her shoulders and gripped the bars of the blonde's cell with tense hands.

Clarke stood from the floor and gripped the brunette's hands with her own. "Is everything alright?"

"They're holding an Earth Skills class. Twenty delinquents per session," Raven gasped out for breath. Low vibrations ruptured in her hands. The brunette stared at their joined hands, then back at Clarke.

"What the fuck, Griffin? You can purr?"

"This hasn't happened before!" Clarke released her friend's hands. The strange low rumble died in her throat.

"Great, my best friend's partly a robotic feline," Raven rolled her eyes and reclaimed her grip on the bars. "As I was saying, the Council just started to hold an Earth Skills class for the delinquents who aren't in solitary confinement. Twenty kids per session. Mr. Pike teaches them. So, something's really off."

Clarke nodded and pursed her pale pink lips in thought. "The delinquents are regarded as harsh criminals. These educational classes seem rather.. sudden. Unexpected."

Raven leaned her chin against one of the bars. "Murphy's in the same class as O, Harper, Jasper and Finn. You're not gonna believe this."

Clarke rolled her shoulders and braced herself for bad news.

Raven continued, "He spoke out against Pike. I know the three of you were close training buddies, but I think the power of being in charge of the delinquents got to your old mentor. Murphy said something really smart-mouthed. O and Jasper told me Pike punched him and beat the hell out of his face. Pike said something about how Murphy questioned his authority and needed to be punished."

"What? Pike wouldn't do that!" Clarke nearly shouted. There was no way the man who held the friendliest gaze would be capable of such a disturbing act. 

Raven mumbled a quiet 'shush' and pointed towards the other side of the block with her index finger. Clarke pressed her face against the bars and searched for the aim of Raven's finger.

Two guards dragged an unconscious Murphy on the floor. Crimson liquid trickled from his bruising left eye.

Clarke whispered, "The medical center's on the other side of the station. They're going the wrong way."

Raven turned her head back towards the blonde. "Miller's dad told me Pike requested withholding treatments. And since Shumway's a pompous douchebag who can be easily bribed, he complied."

That night, frustrated cellmates in neighboring cells shouted in aggravation from lack of sleep. The two guards who fell victim to the cybernetic wrath months earlier were sent to investigate the odd tension, then quickly retreated to the barracks as soon as they felt the familiar loud vibrations in the floor.

Clarke paced around her cell anxiously. Her blood rushed underneath her skin, actually burning, begging for a release. Normally Clarke would mentally crack an inappropriate orgasm joke to the strange voices residing around the chip, but in this tense moment, the blonde was much too aggravated and irritated to form coherent words, aside from a few creative curses.

' _Son of friggin' jackal snatching motherfu-_ '

' _Patience,_ ' the masculine voice demanded, ' _jus drein jus daun. This 'Pike' will pay eventually_.'

' _I can't just sit here and wait when my former mentor turned into a power-hungry-_ '

' _Branwada,_ ' the voice interrupted.

' _Um? Bran-whata?_ ' Clarke rose an eyebrow.

' _Curse word. It means, 'fool'. Pike is a branwada_.'

____

Sketches of a forest surrounded Clarke on the cold prison floor. She sketched with the last charcoal stick she held in her possession.

Two weeks passed by since Raven came with the news of Pike's odd behavior. The week before was the anniversary of the chip implantation. In one week, Clarke would turn eighteen and either be floated or pardoned. Because of her unique circumstances, she wasn't sure if she would die. The Council regarded the chip has something highly important, so the blonde's life might be saved. On the other hand, Clarke was the only person who knew of the oxygen crisis, and she would tell everyone. So there was a possibility that she would be floated to keep the secret, just like her father.

She could already see the signs of the Ark beginning to die. Food slowly became scarce. Every few months, the food trays she received seemed more bland and less filling. Raven would tell her about the increasing vision loss during her visits and how occasionally people who asked questions concerning eye health would be floated without a second thought. The lights in the Sky Block flickered until they died. Various engineers would tell guards about the impending electricity crisis.

A loud alerting noise caused her to still her movements. The alarm shook a few confused and frightened delinquents to awaken.

A guard unlocked the blonde's cell and pulled her outside of the metal cage. "Prisoner three one nine, face the wall!"

"No, let me handle this!" Abby Griffin shouted. The guard released the girl's shoulders and walked away to give the women space.

"Mom!" Clarke leaped into her mother's arms. "I'm not eighteen for another week. It's not time for me yet!"

"Honey, listen to me," Abby pulled away from her daughter and made direct eye contact. Brown eyes met frightened blue eyes, "you aren't going to be floated. None of the current hundred delinquents are. You're going home."

"Home?" Clarke grew dizzy from the major influx of information at once.

"Yes, home. Earth. Jaha will explain. Just follow me." Abby wrapped a wrist around Clarke's arm and escorted her away from the Sky Block.

___

Clarke practically ripped off her worn prison attire and traded them for clothes better suited for herself. She nodded her thanks to her mother for allowing her to visit their designated home on the Ark.

Clarke shimmied into black pants and calf-high black buckled combat boots. "Shit, I need a shirt- oh, you'll do just fine," Clarke's raspy voice practically purred upon her discovery. She reached for a long black tank top from the metal- "Of fucking course it's metal!"- dresser and pulled it down her slender form. The blonde Aussie descendant walked towards the standing mirror and glanced at her own body. She lifted her shirt up. After working out more than she used to for nearly a year, hardened and equally toned six solid lumps aligned against her lower stomach. But they weren't completely hardened. She still retained her slender form for the most part.

"Still got it," she purred.

"Jesus, Clarke, I get it, you're hot, now come out here!" Raven shouted from the living room.

Clarke pressed the tank downwards and stepped out from her room. Her old room. She rolled her eyes playfully at Raven. "Damn straight, I'm hot!"

"Damn straight, you're not," Raven retorted.

Clarke grinned at the challenge. "Damn straight, you're also not-"

"Neither of you are straight, I get it!" Abby exclaimed. She sighed and held out a black leather jacket towards Clarke. "I saved this when your other clothes were sent to the trading center after your arrest."

Clarke's eyes brightened as she walked towards her mother and slipped her arms into the sleeves. "Thanks, but wait," her eyes turned to Raven.

The brunette wore pants similar to Clarke's, a black tank top faded in color, a black vest also faded, and a maroon jacket. "Abby brought me here before the alarm systems acted up. I'm coming with you. Someone's gotta watch your asses and communicate with the Ark," she turned around and showed Clarke her maroon backpack, "I've got a shit load of walkie-talkies and a radio. And I'm the youngest person on the ship who knows how to handle electrical currents and components, so the Chancellor thought he should send me instead of one of the older mechanics."

Abby opened the door leading to the hallway. "Come on, kids! You need to head to the dropship as soon as possible."

Mr. Miller approached the women. "No worries, Counselor Griffin. I'll ensure they make it safely."

Abby smiled in appreciation, then pulled Clarke and Raven into a bone-crushing hug. "I love you girls."

Her mother's affection for Raven was a question lulling on Clarke's throat, but the blonde answered it herself. Abby and Raven most likely became close due to a common goal. Both women frequently ensured Clarke's safety during her prison sentence. Raven's mother died only a few years prior to the oxygen crisis. Abby must have been a motherly figure to the snarky brunette.

"I love you too, Mom," Clarke whispered softly.

Raven murmured, "May we meet again," as they parted.

Mr. Miller escorted the girls down the hall and towards an elevator. "Guns, ammo, bandages, medication, rubbing alcohol, food and water rations will be stored in a chamber on the ceiling of the ship. Extra clothing were also provided from the trading center."

Raven rose an eyebrow. "Wait, what? Why would a bunch of kids have weapons and drugs?"

Miller scratched his head and faced the nineteen year old. "Just in case anything feral survived the bombs and radiation, and if you come into contact with injuries or illnesses that you haven't been treated for."

The man clasped his hands together. "My son told me your friend Bellamy managed to sneak on the dropship via radio. Since he has some experience as a guard, I think he would be suitable for starting a militia, if anything did in fact survive."

Clarke nodded and smiled gratefully at the man. Mr. Miller was under Shumway's command, but his son's and the rest of the youth's safety would always be his first concern.

"And another thing. Octavia Blake and Murphy said you have leader-like qualities due to your instinct to protect them from danger before you were locked away. Which is why I spoke with Monty's and Jasper's parents, from a concerned parent to others."

"What are you saying?" The blonde asked.

Mr. Miller's gentle voice softened. "You also have the chip. None of us knew why, but it never rejected you, unlike Shumway. With this chip and your leadership qualities combined, I believe this isn't a coincidence. The other parents and I came to the conclusion that you're meant to lead these kids. The others and I have a request."

A few tears betrayed his slowly glassing eyes. "Please protect our children, Clarke. No one knows what's down there, but please protect them."

Clarke smiled fondly at the man. "I will do all I can to ensure their survival. You have my word."

____

One by one, the delinquents approached Jackson in a single file line. The gentle doctor attached metal cuffs to the kids.

"Good to see you," Jackson said as the metal cuff pulled itself into Clarke's left wrist. The blonde hissed from the sudden piercing pain of individual needles.

"May we meet again," the blonde gripped the doctor's hand into a firm handshake and she headed towards the dropship entrance.

Raven dragged Clarke by her left arm to ensure they would find seats together. They sat in the front of the ship, near the large screen.

Clarke tapped her chin in wonder. "How the hell did Bell get in here without getting caught?"

"Beats me," Wells Jaha mumbled.

Clarke nearly jumped out of her seat when she heard the voice she grew to hate. "What are you doing here?"

"I got myself arrested at last minute. I'm already eighteen, and they didn't want to scare the younger kids by escorting me to the airlock, so here I am," Wells explained.

"You got arrested for me? Dammit, Wells," she rolled her eyes.

The face of Chancellor Jaha on the large screen caught the delinquents' attention.

"The guards have estimated that there are a hundred of you on this ship, besides the mechanic we provided for communication assistance. Your mission is to investigate Earth and see if it's habitable."

A low whisper, Clarke realized it was Monroe, whispered, "Holy shit, we're going home!"

From the back, Murphy snorted, "More like we're being sent to die."

The Chancellor continued, "If the Earth is in fact habitable, you will be pardoned for your individual crimes. You will be welcomed back in Ark society when the time comes for us to land."

Clarke hissed under her breath, "We should have done this a year ago, back when the Ark wasn't dying so quickly."

She swallowed a rising knot in her throat and called out, "Hey, everyone! Buckle the hell in! We're in for a wild ride!"

The Chancellor began a countdown. "Three,"

A loud chorus of buckles echoed around the otherwise silent ship.

"Two,"

Raven murmured quietly, "We're coming home, princess."

"Finally time to get off this metal death trap," Clarke whispered back.

"One,"

The engine began to roar, and variously worded 'holy shits' replaced the noise of buckles.

"May we meet again," The Chancellor whispered before the screen cracked into static noises.

Squeals erupted when the ship exited from the station. A loud deafening noise of engines overtook the squeals as the ship whizzed into the atmosphere.

Clarke's fear spiked the vibrations of her blood. Wells and Raven each took a hand into their own in an effort to soothe the blonde. Clarke would have shoved Wells away, but her fear nearly paralyzed her.

A few boys unbuckled themselves and floated around the ship due to the lack of gravity.

"Hey, princess," a long shaggy-haired boy called as he drifted towards Clarke.

"Holy shit, hey, Finn!" Raven exclaimed.

Clarke sighed in frustration, "Why does everyone know me?"

"Reyes!" Finn nearly squealed, "Well, Clarke, your group spoke of you. So many stories. You're pretty rebellious for being a Chancellor's kid."

"Well, thanks, but please, buckle up before-"

The words left Clarke's mind as the ship's noises intensified.

Raven squeezed Clarke's hand firmly.

The dropship's noises died as it made contact with land. Clarke shoved Wells' hand away and unbuckled herself, then stared in horror at the bodies of unconscious boys, the same boys who followed Finn's dangerous example.

One by one, Clarke checked their pulses. "They're alive," she sighed in relief, then gave Finn a firm glare. "Don't ever do something so stupid-" her glare turned into a friendly smile, "-without letting me know so I can join."

"Dammit," Raven groaned, "I barely noticed how alike you both were until now."

"You should have met Clarke when she was kid. She drove all the doctors mad," Wells whispered. Raven laughed and unbuckled herself from her seat. The hundred delinquents opened a hatch on the floor and crawled down a ladder to meet the first floor of the ship.

A familiar flash of brown hair passed by the crowd and practically tackled a guard. Clarke's eyes widened in realization.

"You assholes never visited me!" The blonde called out as she pushed herself through the crowd.

"Princess!" Bellamy shrieked and pulled her into a tight hug.

Clarke turned around and gasped at Octavia's appearance. "Your bangs grew out! You look better without hair in your face," she wrapped her arms tightly in her younger friend's torso. Octavia gripped Clarke's shoulders.

"We tried. Shumway and Pike wouldn't give us permission, and Bell wasn't allowed to perform his janitorial duties in the Sky Box," the bright-eyed brunette stated.

Clarke pulled away and turned her gaze to Bellamy. "How did you sneak here, anyway?"

Bell's face fell, and before she could ask why his mood suddenly changed, a voice called out, "open the door already!"

"Wait!" Clarke shouted, "What if we're not immune to the radiation? We'll die!"

Bellamy gripped the door. "Let's find out." He paused, then his eyes landed on his sister's. "How about you make everyone forget your history as the girl who lived under the floor board? Be the first person to step on Earth in nearly a hundred years."

Octavia's eyes somehow brightened. She turned to face Bellamy, smiling at his gesture, then she turned to Clarke.

"I think you should do it. Only if you want to," Clarke whispered softly.

"Yes. I'll do it," The girl nodded.

Bellamy gripped the door handle and opened the metal box. Bright sunlight peered into the entrance. Octavia cautiously stepped out and watched her steps. She lifted up her head. Bellamy and Clarke watched her with proud smiles.

The brunette gazed at her surroundings, completely awestruck with the gentle green of trees, the warm yet slightly chilly weather, and the bright sun. She ended the silence by lifting a closed fist into the air, and she shouted, "We're back, bitches!"

The hundred shouted unanimously and ran out of the ship. A bright grin and warmth of overly excited blue eyes enveloped her face.

Raven stood next to the blonde, "Your drawings really captured this place."

"Yeah, they really did, thanks to whoever spoke to me," Clarke mumbled.

____

" _Heda_!" A young boy no older than the age of thirteen called.

Lexa stood up from her throne. "I know, Aden. I felt it as well, perhaps stronger than you," she spoke rather quietly.

A heavily braided and tattooed man crossed his arms. "What should we do now?"

"Tell Titus I have plans to create a camp site between the crash site and the hills, _Gostos_. Titus must watch over the _Natblida's_ training while I am gone."

Anya approached the throne. "Is that wise, _Heda_?"

" _Sha, Onya_. The _Maunon_ have been reportedly sighted near that area. We must ensure _Skaikru_ will be safe." Lexa's statement carried a strong tone of her naturally commanding attitude.

" _Ste yuj_. I will be back soon," the Commander assured the boy named Aden as she exited the throne room with Gustus and Anya.

Gustus spoke up, "Do you think the one with the _Skai_ spirit arrived?"

"Yes. The third _Heda_ warned me of their arrival, though I did not think it would be so soon," Lexa told the bodyguard. "I must warn Chief Indra of TonDC."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klark kom Skaikru, chil au. Ste yuj. Yu kom fostaim Heda's keryon.- Clarke of the Sky People, calm down. Stay strong. You are of the first Commander's soul.
> 
> Yo gonplei nou ste odon- Your fight isn't over.
> 
> Skaiblida- Skyblood
> 
> Heda- Commander
> 
> Jus drein jus daun- Blood must have blood.
> 
> Branwada- Fool. Trigedasleng insult.


	5. First Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke encounters Mountain Men and Grounders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be really eventful. Prepare yourselves for action, fluff, and some pretty explicit language. Clarke will meet several important characters, including the one you're all waiting for.

"Uh, guys? We have a problem," Clarke called. She held a map open and stared worriedly at a scribbled note on the inside.

Finn, Wells and Bellamy approached the blonde and peered over the map. Clarke traced a marked area with her fingers and said, "We were supposed to land here. We have to take refuge in an old military bunker called Mount Weather," she pointed to the mountain with an index finger.

Finn traced the 'legend' of the map, then found the shape of a mile mark. "We're a few miles off, but we can make it there in about two and a half hours, tops."

Bellamy spoke up, "I think we should rest until tomorrow. I think most of us are suffering from jetlag right now."

Clarke nodded, "You're right, Bell. So first thing's first. We need to form a militia of some sort. And since you're the only person here with experience, you'll be the General."

Bellamy pressed the side of his left hand in mock salute. "Alright, princess. I'll appoint some people as guards."

Because of Murphy's former training days with Pike and Clarke, Bell appointed him as his Lieutenant. Murphy accepted the title. A muscular short-haired brunette named Atom was assigned to be the guard of the storage unit besides Harper. Guns were passed to guards only. Wells, Fox and Roma were given patrol positions to watch over the other delinquents.

Clarke walked towards the middle of camp. Bellamy shot two blank flares in the air to get the teenagers' attention. Clarke spoke up.

"Listen here, guys! I think we should find loose trees and tie them together. We have to make sure we have a barrier against possible wildlife."

One of the younger boys sneered, "Why should we listen to you? The privileged should do the work!"

Something in Clarke's mind snapped. She clenched her jaw and approached the boy slowly. Her body began to vibrate from the angry endorphins running through her blood.

"Privileged?" Her voice carried an irritated tone, "I spent most of my life as a human guinea pig against my free will, and you think I'm privileged? Last time I checked, we were all shoved into this pathetic excuse of a ship," she pointed to the dropship, "And sent to the same location. We are all the same now. Doesn't matter which families we came from, or what crimes we committed."

She retook her place next to Bellamy. "We're here. We all survived the crash. And now, we work together and explore this place. For right now, we need to make a proper camp before nightfall. Let's get working!"

Clarke approached Raven. The brunette pulled the radio out of her backpack. "I'm gonna need some electricity to get this thing to work. Walkie-talkies should be fine. They're solar-powered. Give them to all the guards. Looks like you and Bell are co-leading, so you two get the ear pieces. They're small and fit in nicely. I'll show you."

Raven pulled one of the devices from her bag. Her hands stetched out a small and thick transparent wire. She wrapped the wire around the shell of Clarke's ear, careful to avoid her piercings, then placed the small black speaker into the ear with the music notes tattoo. She wrapped the similar ear pierce around Bellamy's ear.

"Alright, now press the little white button on the wire. You can't see it, but just feel for it," Raven instructed. Clarke lifted her index finger to the wire and pressed it. Bellamy copied her actions.

"Bell," Clarke mumbled.

"Copy that, princess. It works," Bellamy replied. 

Raven twisted her lips into a playful grin, "Knew it would. Now, I need to get this radio working. I'll bring down a few backpacks when you're ready to hike down to Mount Weather, Clarke."

"Thanks, Reyes," Clarke returned the grin.

___

The sun lowered until darkness stretched across the sky. The crescent-shaped moon beamed its blaring white light among seemingly tiny specks of stars.

Loose tree branches covered the surrounding area around the makeshift dropship. Flames crackled and moved energetically over the rocks and small logs underneath its angry scorn. Five larger logs spread into a circle surrounding the fire. 

Miller, one of the guards under Bellamy's command, sat next to Monty. They traded secrets and shared memories of Ark life. 

Clarke sat perched at the dropship entrance and pulled her leather jacket tightly against her torso. She bit her bottom lip. "Winter's not too far away," she murmured.

Wells sat beside her. "The trading center provided us with a few heavy blankets in the storage unit. But I don't think it's enough."

Clarke nodded. Her eyes faced directly ahead into the space in front of her. She couldn't talk to Wells yet. She wanted to yell at him, to make him understand the pain and suffering he caused, but now wasn't the right time.

She stretched out her legs, then stood up. Frightened groans invaded her ears. 

' _Sense the ground, Skaiblida. Focus on the soundwaves. Hear them, feel them,_ ' murmured the familiar masculine voice.

Clarke complied and squeezed her eyes shut. She listened closely to the sonic waves humming through the thickness of Earth. She opened her eyes once she detected the source. She walked towards one of the several skyscraping trees and kneeled beside it.

A girl, no older than twelve, cried and murmured frightened repetitions. Clarke pressed a hand to the girl's arm and shook it gently. The girl's eyes quickly opened and she gasped out.

"Hey, there, you're okay," Clarke spoke in a low volume to keep the girl calm.

"My parents," the girl murmured, "every time I close my eyes, I see them just before they were sent to the airlock."

Clarke's eyes widened in realization. "I understand," she said, reaching for the cuffed arm and squeezing it gently in assurance, "my father was floated nearly a year ago. I still get nightmares," she showed her watch, "this is the only possession I have from him."

The girl sat up and leaned against the tree. Her eyes flickered to the watch, then back to Clarke's eyes. "You have that distinct accent. And I thought I heard someone call you 'princess' earlier. You're Clarke Griffin!"

"Yes, kid. I'm that weird subject that the adults probably warned you about," Clarke smiled weakly. "I was um, notorious for brawls. But to be quite honest with you, I needed excitement. Sometimes my blood just roars and screams at me to do dangerous things."

The girl returned the smile. "Like an adrenaline rush?"

"Mhm, you got it. Smart one, aren't you?" Clarke's weak smile dissipated into a genuinely amused one. "It's like an adrenaline rush. But a hell of a lot more ridiculous. My blood vibrates, anyone near me can feel it, or they can be far from me. Depends on how strong they are. Pain in the ass is what it really is. But since we're not in a dying piece of shit anymore, I'll be able to run and burn it instead of working out in one spot and exhausting myself," she paused, gave the girl a stern glance, "I'm a bit of a sailor mouth, kid. Just promise me you won't repeat my words." She whispered softly, "And if you slip, don't rat me out."

"Understood. My name's Charlotte. Not exactly a kid," the girl stated.

Clarke nodded, "Gotcha. You're in that awkward age when you're sort of a teenager, but not really. And please, for the love of all that is good in this strange world, don't make the same mistakes I did. I stole a lot. Shouldn't have gotten away with it, but Murphy was a sneaky little shit and the boy and I had that rush. Speaking of Murphy, wait here," she stood up and brushed the dirt from her pants. 

Murphy leaned against one of the logs near the campfire. He pulled his knees towards his chest and closed his eyes.

Clarke's lips stretched into the classic Griffin grin. She quietly approached the bird-like boy, timing her steps and attempting to avoid weighing her feet down with her body weight. She pressed her lips to his ear, then loudly shouted.

"Wake the hell up!"

Murphy blinked his eyes open and fell over his left side. His eyes landed on Clarke and his brief confusion subsided.

"Dammit, Griffin! You sly little shit!"

"That's me alright," Clarke purred. She gripped Murphy's arms and pulled him to his feet in a standing position. "So, hear me out. You might love this or hate this, but you'll do it anyway. See that girl over there?" She tilted her head and gestured to the small girl leaning against a tree.

Murphy nodded, "What about her?"

"Name's Charlotte, looks to be about twelve years of age. That age when we became sneaky shits. We have more freedom now, since we're out of the grips of a literal dictatorship. Heh.. dick tator."

Murphy rolled his eyes, but his mouth contrasted when his lips stretched into a wide grin. "Concentrate."

"Oh, right. Well, I want you to help her, or at least be there for her. Show her how to sneak around unnoticed it. You're lean and light on your feet, you could show her the ropes. And," she closed her eyes, "her parents were floated. I think you two could help each other move past the pain."

"Wha-no. I'm not going to be a babysitter," Murphy's friendliness dissipated. 

"Look, I'm probably going to be busy running around and making sure we're in safe territory before I'll be able to speak to her on a regular basis," Clarke reached out to grip his shoulders, "but you're Bell's second in command. You'll be in the camp more often. Bell will be busy assigning patrols once we secure this place and move out to Mount Weather with the whole other hundred. You'll be in charge of making sure everyone performs their duties. You'll be able to converse while you're in charge. Give her minimal tasks and slowly build her up. Make her feel appreciated, make her feel less lonely. She'll relate to you. Please?"

"Alright, fine," Murphy sighed, "I'll do it. This might be awkward," he mumbled and walked towards the girl. 

Clarke added, "And avoid any topics about Wells. At least, not until we all get our shit together."

"Got it, princess."

_____

Raven nudged Clarke's sleeping figure with her left foot.

The blonde, already awake, groaned and turned her body sideways. 

"Come on, Decepticon. Wake the hell up. You passed out on the bag of walkie talkies!"

"Explains why it's not a very comfortable mattress," Clarke mumbled and rolled away from the bag. She stood up too quickly and mentally chided herself after feeling the head rush.

Raven laughed and rolled her eyes. "Radio's still not working. If I have to contact you while you're on the hike, I'll use a walkie talkie. Do you have the ear piece?"

"Aw, fuck," Clarke rubbed a sore spot behind her ear, "I fell asleep on it."

"No fucks, Clarke," Raven laughed, "come on, you have an expedition today. I filled backpacks with supplies for you. Blue one's yours."

Clarke nodded her thanks and slid down the ladder of the dropship. She gripped the blue backpack and strapped it over one shoulder, then walked towards the entrance of camp. The sun blared down almost angrily. As beautiful as the land was, the delinquents were easily susceptible to sun burn due to their full lives of living in a ship which only light source was artificial.

The blonde flinched when she turned around to watch her surroundings. A few teenagers were getting handsy. She silently thanked the medical staff from the Ark for implanting birth control.

Finn approached her. "Hey, princess! You should try to relax a little, like them. Couldn't hurt."

Clarke faced his playful grin with her 'famous' Griffin grin. "Nah. It's just not the right timing for me. I just want the connection that the other kids drool about, ya know? Physical things could release tension, but that sort of relationship without the emotional connection's not for me. I need to focus on making sure we're all safe before I even think of that anyway."

Finn nodded and lifted up a white backpack to his shoulders. "Alright, I respect that. Just don't let the stress get to you. I decided to come with you. I can track river beds and wildlife sightings. We really don't know if anything survived here, but just in case, I think I should go with you."

"Welcome to the squad! Now we just need a few more willing volunteers," Clarke glanced around at the other delinquents. Finn approached the backs of Monty and Jasper, gripped one shoulder of each of them, and pulled the boys in Clarke's direction.

Finn said, "They know about plants from their 'herbal experimentation'. They could probably point out a few dangerous or safe plants."

Octavia ran towards the group. "Wait! I want to come too. I need to explore this place."

Bellamy approached and furrowed his eyebrows. "I think it's too dangerous, O."

Clarke glanced at O, then her brother. She placed thoughts into words and her eyes flickered between them. "I can protect her, Bell," then she whispered into his ear, "I think she needs this. She lived in a small compartment all her life. This might be the only opportunity for her to be free before we get inside Mount Weather."

Bellamy bit his bottom lip in thought, then met his sister's gaze. "Okay, O. You can go with the squad."

Jasper grinned, "Go Clarkesquad!"

"Go me," Clarke rolled her eyes and jabbed the boy's side with an elbow. "Jasper, Monty and Octavia, grab the backpacks near the dropship entrance and meet me back here in five."

____

Two long hours passed by quickly. During the hike, Monty and Jasper pointed out hallucinogenic plants.

"For the last time," Clarke sighed, "no, you may not use them for recreational use! Not until we get check out Mount Weather. I need you to be alert and awake. Just take some and put them in my bag. I'll give them to you when this ordeal is over. Deal?"

"Hell yeah! Deal!" Jasper exclaimed. He bumped fists with an equally excited Monty.

Finn pressed his fingers to his lips. The small group stopped walking and grew silent. Finn bent down on his knees and examined a shape in the dirt trail. "Holy shit. Clarke, look at this real quick."

Clarke gave her map to Octavia and bent down to Finn's crouched stature. She nearly gasped until Finn slammed his hand over her mouth.

Octavia whispered harshly, "Guys, what is it?"

Clarke traced the shape with her fingers. "A hoof print."

"Medium sized animal, judging from the size of the hoof. This looks like a fresh mark," Finn observed, "Come on, it's on the path we're following."

Clarke stood up and used her fingers to skim the markings on the map in Octavia's hands. She nodded and waved her cuffed arm, beckoning the others to continue walking.

Twenty minutes later, Clarke sensed movement in the ground. "It's near," she whispered.

Monty whispered back, "How do you know?"

"If I focus hard enough, I can feel vibrations in the ground. If I feel a rumble, I know something's moving," Clarke explained.

"Alright, super soldier," Octavia teased, "lead us to the damn thing we're searching for."

"It's right about," Clarke closed her eyes, searching for the slightest movement in the ground, "there," she pointed towards an area near a large hill and opened her eyes.

Finn was right. The creature was medium-sized. A light brown color covered its slender body. The creature lifted its heads. Clarke tensed and stepped back.

"Did not expect that."

Jasper mumbled, "Radiation's a strange thing."

Clarke nodded and regained her composure. "I guess the animals that didn't die continued to reproduce. And mutate. Kinda reminds me of that thing from that post-apocalyptic video game series from the old world. You know, the one from the main rec room?"

Jasper's eyes widened, "Fallout! You're talking about the Brahmin. The two-headed cows."

Octavia walked past the group. "I'm friends with a bunch of nerds, I swear."

"Afraid that someone might find out you're a total nerd for old world melee weapons, O?" Clarke purred and walked in step with her friend.

"Shut it," the brunette mumbled.

Clarke unfolded the map. "Looks like we're heading close to a creek. Still no sign of an entrance to the bunker," she sighed.

Octavia's steps increased into a jog. The group ran after her, unsure of her intentions. Upon catching the creek in site, she stripped down to her boxer and sports bra, then turned to the group.

Finn, Monty, Jasper, and Clarke's jaws dropped down. Clarke stared, not because of an attraction, but because she didn't expect her friend to be nearly as fit as herself. 

Monty whispered, "Looks like you're not the alone one who worked out like a nut."

Clarke nodded, jaw still practically unhinged until Finn brushed his fingers under her chin and pushed it upwards.

"Huh. Kinda figured you were the 'kiss girls, kick ass' type," he smiled playfully.

"Don't get me wrong, I love to do both. Or I would. But not O. She's like family. I'm just kinda shocked that she worked out as much as I did," Clarke stated, averting her eyes from the girl.

Finn nodded, "I understand, I'm the same way with Raven."

Octavia plunged into the water and splashed the group. Clarke shrugged her jacket off next to the brunette's clothes. 

Monty slid his backpack from his shoulders. "We walked for a while and we need a break."

Clarke nodded, "Agreed." She sat on a ledge.

Finn pulled rope from his backpack and tied it to a nearby tree branch. Octavia carefully waded through the shallow water towards the ledge.

Clarke smiled fondly at her friend, "I was locked up in solitary for nearly a year. Feels strange to say. I'm already used to talking to you and the others like I used to. But I really developed a hatred for metal and tight spaces."

Octavia gripped the ledge with her arms. "Not sure how I went a year without hearing that annoying accent of yours."

Clarke dipped her cuffed hand into the water and splashed at Octavia. 

"I was just kidding!" The brunette exclaimed and spit water from her mouth. "Ugh! Salt water. Tastes awful."

Clarke's lips twisted into a smirk of triumph. 

"Holy shit!" Jasper shrieked. The girls whipped their heads around.

Jasper swung from the rope, released his tight grip and landed across the creek. 

Finn pumped his fist into the air. "Didn't think you had it in you, goggles!"

The group laughed and cheered together with praise. Clarke heard a small splash in the water. She tilted her head to face the creek, then gripped Octavia's arms.

"Clarke, what are you- holy fuck!" The brunette tried to push herself into Clarke's grip. She felt a strange tug from her left leg. 

Finn tightened the rope's knot from the tree and tossed it at Clarke. The blonde grabbed the thick material and wrapped it around herself and Octavia. Monty and Finn pulled while Clarke vibrated from the endorphins she released. The vibrations grew louder until the creature released its strong grip from Octavia's leg. The brunette fell into Clarke's arms, then Clarke fell backwards into Monty's, then into Finn's.

Finn groaned, "I love you guys, but i'd prefer to not be squished by your combined weight." 

Clarke stood up and watched the creek. She caught site of a giant eel-like creature swimming away. 

"Alright," she spoke, gasping for air, "rule number one of the post-apocalypse. No wandering around without fully investigating. Jesus, that was terrifying."

Monty grunted and crawled away from his position against Finn. "Agreed."

Clarke grasped her leather leather jacket. She draped it across Octavia's shoulders once the younger girl redressed herself.

Jasper shouted, "Guys! Look!"

The group's heads turned to face Jasper. The brunette waved a rectangular-shaped sign. Clarke focused her eyes. "Mount Weather," she murmured.

Monty, Finn and Octavia shared high-fives. 

A loud explosive sound echoed into their ears. A bullet flew into Jasper's shoulder. A figure in a white hazmat suit appeared from a nearby bush and smacked Jasper's head with the butt of a rifle.

Monty nearly cried out. Clarke slammed her palm against his mouth and ducked down. She whispered quietly, "Finn, take Monty and Octavia. I need to go after them."

Octavia whispered harshly, "No way, I'm coming with you."

"Fine, fine, but just be quiet, don't let your feet carry your whole weight, we need to tread lightly. Finn, go. Now."

Finn reluctantly nodded, knowing Clarke would be too stubborn to go back to camp without Jasper. 

The shaggy-haired boy left with a horrified but silent Monty.

____

Clarke and Octavia distanced themselves out of sight and hearing range from Jasper's captures. Clarke focused on the wavelengths and soundwaves from the ground to detect the exact location. 

"They stopped for now," Clarke whispered. She quietly crept behind a cluster of tall trees and bushes. 

Two men in white hazmat suits created a temporary camp. Jasper lay unconscious in the clearing.

"These outsiders are able to live outside, despite the radiation levels," one of the men said, "and they're not like Grounders. They're more like us. Wallace is gonna love this." 

"One step closer," the other one beamed. He turned his back to keep watch. Clarke pressed her fingers to her lips, signaling Octavia to stay quiet. She shrugged her bookbag from her shoulders and slowly approached the man. She stuck her left leg out, and just one the man was about to turn around, he tripped over the leg. Clarke pounced on his back and shoved his helmeted face to the ground. She forgot her own strength. The helmet's glass-like structure broke upon impact. The man's face broke out into horrifying blisters. Clarke shuddered and looked away. 

"Outsider!" The other man shouted. He pointed his rifle in Clarke's direction. A wooden sphere penetrated through the man's gut. He sunk on his knees as he broke into boils and blisters. His face melted into a gory mess.

Clarke began to vibrate out of fear and confusion. She closed her eyes and tried to steady herself into a normal breathing pattern. She couldn't feel soundwaves through the ground, but someone had to be present.

She opened her eyes and looked downwards. Blue liquid trickled down and stained her victim's hazmat-clad chest. She lifted her left hand to the bridge of her nose. She felt a minor cut graze horizontally between the bridge. She pulled out a small piece of the glass-like structure from her nose. 

Shadows leaped from the tall trees surrounding the clearing. Clarke stood up from the corpse and vibrated once more. She stepped closer to a lone figure.

A feminine voice murmured inside her mind, ', _You are not in danger. Stay calm and focused. Do not let your guard waiver,_ '. It sounded strangely normal, unlike the masculine voice's sharp pronunciation.

Clarke held her head high. The vibrations slowly grew louder. 

" _Chon yu bilaik_?" The figure in front of Clarke asked. She stepped forward. A short and muscular woman with blue symbols marking her cheekbones greeted Clarke.

Clarke knew that language. She couldn't understand it, but she recognized the usage of syllables from her interactions with the chip.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand you," she spoke clearly. The vibrations ceased. 

Octavia stepped out of her position in the bushes. A tall and muscular man walked towards her. Three white stripes marked his eyes. Dark charcoal created a thick stripe across his hairless head. His coat lingered over the bottom half of his face, effectively masking his mouth. He pointed to her leg. 

Clarke's eyes darted to the crimson liquid pouring out from Octavia's blue jeans. She flinched, then turned to the muscular woman. "I uh, sorry. I really need to help her, please give me a moment."

The woman nodded in approval. Clarke crouched down to investigate Octavia's leg. She pointed to the dagger on the tall man's hip. The man crouched down with the blonde and pulled the dagger from its holster. He cut the bloodied cloth away from Octavia's skin. Clarke shuddered when she saw the three bloody scratch marks across the brunette's leg.

The man shared an equal glance of horror in his eyes. He nodded to Clarke, showing her he understood the injury, and shoved a hand into his pocket. He gripped a small glass jar of a green liquid. He murmured quietly, "This will soothe the stinging."

Clarke's eyes glinted and shot the man a questioning glance. "You speak my language. Why?"

"I am _gona_. A warrior. Only warriors, _fisas_ , and anyone with authority speak Gonasleng. My Chief spoke to you in Trigedasleng," The man explained. His voice was muffled from the coat blocking his mouth. 

Clarke nodded and pulled out her backpack. The other warriors, who all had interesting tattoos and face paint, observed curiously. Half of the warriors' hair length sauntered past their shoulders. Complex braids tied the hair, preventing it from locking into their faces. 

Clarke pulled gauze, alcohol and medical tape from her backpack. 

"She needs stitches," Clarke explained, "but I don't have the equipment for them. I need to clean the wounds and temporarily bandage them before I go back to my people."

The woman stepped closer. "You sound different compared our reports from scouts. And you heal, yet you have the piercings and tattoos of a warrior. What are you, _skai_ girl?"

Clarke poured rubbing alcohol over the wounds. Octavia, despite her pain, gasped out, "Princess here is pretty much everything."

The warriors, the woman and Lincoln shared multiple confused glances.

"Well," Clarke spoke out loud, "For starters, my ancestors are Australian. The land known for a ridiculous amount of poisonous creatures." She wiped the wounds with a cloth, then gestured to the green liquid. Lincoln pressed the glass jar into her hands, "And my mother is a doctor. I learned a few useful skills and gained life saving information from her. And yes, I'm from the sky. And since you people jumped from the trees, I'm not surprised if your scouts found us." She covered the wounds in the green liquid. The liquid itself dried into a thin paste.

The woman watched suspiciously. "Your injured friend speaks like the _Maunon_ , the people who attempted to capture this one here," she gestured to Jasper. 

Octavia slid down to her knees. The stinging pain disappeared. A cool minty burst replaced the pain.

The woman spoke again, "You are in my people's territory. But it seems that we may have a common enemy. The _Maunon_ have captured our people for several generations, and we do not know why."

The muscular man added, "Sometimes our people are turned into _ripas_. They turn our own against us. It's been a plague for all of the clans."

Clarke bit her bottom lip as she pressed gauze into Octavia's wounds. She wrapped the gauze in medical tape. "My people were under a false impression. No one thought humanity existed." She turned to face the woman, "We didn't mean to crash into your territory." She stood from her crouching position. Blue droplets trickled down her face.

"As I said," the woman spoke, "You have landed in my people's territory, but we may have a common enemy. Your crimes of trespassing may be overruled under our terms. You must speak with Hed-"

"Clarke!" Raven's voice rang in Clarke's left ear. The blonde pressed the button connected to her ear pierce. 

"Reyes! What's wrong?"

"I know it sounds ridiculous, but these people in hazmat suits invaded our camp!"

Bellamy's voice cut in, "We managed to scare them away, but the militia's really tense. They never fired weapons before. We have a few injured people. Their injuries don't look deadly. But this girl named Charlotte, she doesn't look too good. Murphy's watching over her and no one has medical knowledge besides you. Hurry back, please!"

Clarke hurriedly replied, "On my way. Jasper was shot and he's unconscious. He'll live. Octavia's fine. Tell Murphy to put pressure on Charlotte's wound. Press it with a cloth."

The warriors silently observed Clarke. The blonde clenched her jaw. "These ' _Maunon_ ' invaded the dropship camp. The militia managed to scare them off. I need to go back."

The woman paused, then spoke. " _Skai prisa_ , I will send _Linkin_ and Ryder to carry your injured companions. I will also send two guards. My name is Indra and I am the chief of my village. My scouts will watch you. If you harm my warriors in anyway, you will regret it. I will send a fisa to tend to your people's wounds when I go back. My Commander will arrive very soon. She will most likely visit your camp and provide assistance against the _Maunon_." She stepped forward and exposed her arm. Clarke lifted her cuffed arm and furrowed her eyebrows. Indra grasped Clarke's forearm. 

"This is a symbol of trust and promises, _skai prisa_ ," Indra stated.

Clarke smiled warmly. "My name is Clarke."

Indra nodded, " _Klark kom Skaikru_."

"May we meet again, Indra."

____

The sun drifted across the pink and red horizon of the sky. Indra led her warriors to TonDC. 

Crowds of people circled around the middle of camp. Children attempted to sneak between the bodies of adults to peak at the commotion. Indra already expected this.

" _Heda_ ," she said as she made her way through the crowd. She bent down to her knees and bowed.

"Indra," Lexa greeted, "you may rise."

Indra stood up. "I did not expect you to arrive so quickly."

"I am ahead of my people. You know what my _jus_ does to me," the stoic woman allowed herself to smile at her old friend.

Indra smiled and nodded. "Speaking of which, we have come across something important. May we speak in privacy?"

Lexa nodded her approval and gestured her head towards the stony war hut.

Indra followed her closely, then the tone in her voice shifted to panic. " _Heda_ , I have come across _Skaikru_. The _Maunon_ attempted to capture one of them in the forest."

Lexa visibly tensed. "Go on."

" _Skai prisa_ killed one of them. I do not think she took a life before. She has a strong will, but she is inexperienced."

Lexa rose an eyebrow. " _Prisa_? Is she the one in charge?"

"I am not sure. But she seems to act like she is. She is young. I believe she is only a few summers younger than yourself," Indra explained, "Her voice is slightly different from the rest of her people. The others speak like the _Maunon_. Her friend referred to her as _prisa_ , but she looks like a warrior and has the knowledge of a _fisa_."

Lexa chewed her bottom lip. A young leader, a healer and a warrior? "Is she an enemy?"

"No, she apologized for landing in our territory. She says her people were unaware of anyone existing on the ground."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her that we have a common enemy. I said her crimes of trespassing could be overruled if she agrees to our terms. But I was interrupted. The _Maunon_ invaded her camp. I ordered _Linkin_ and Ryder to follow her," Indra explained.

Lexa's eyes widened. "If _Skaikru_ want peace, we must show them the benefits of becoming the thirteenth clan. We must assist them." She walked towards the entrance.

" _Heda_ , wait!" Indra shouted. The Commander turned around.

" _Skai prisa_ made the ground shake as you do. She followed the _Maunon_ and her unconscious friend from a safe distance and tracked them down by listening."

Lexa gripped the dagger from her corset belt tightly. "I believe she might be the person I'm searching for."

" _Sha_ , I believe so too. Her _jus_ is blue, _Heda_."

Anya appeared from the doorway. " _Heda_ , I will bring the horses. We must arrive by nightfall, and we can't do that on foot. Well, maybe you could," she tapped her chin, "speaking of which, please warn me before you run off so quickly. You're hard to follow when your boots barely make an imprint in the soil."

Lexa attempted to resume her stoic posture. "We must protect _Skaikru_ , _Onya_. Dispatch the horses and our strongest warriors. And their _Sekens_. The Maunon may return."

Anya smiled playfully, "You intend to impress the _Skai prisa_ with the strongest people under your command, _Leksa_?"

" _Shof op_."

___

"Fucking hell," Clarke hissed under her breath as she performed the fifth bullet extraction surgery, "this one's a tough little shit."

Harper bit a rag to prevent herself from crying out in pain. Monroe nervously sat down next to her. 

"The little shit's out, Harper," Clarke nodded to the blonde, "I'll stitch you up after I check on Charlotte again."

Miller climbed up the ladder and slid two closed metal cans of Monty's moonshine across the dropship's second floor. "Rubbing alcohol supply's low. Monty and Jasper made this. Don't ask me how, I have no idea, but this should help with cleansing. And um, relaxing."

"Thanks, Miller. Could you give me a hand here? Disinfect these tools, please," Clarke handed a cloth of bloody surgical instruments to Miller.

The ear piece buzzed, "Clarke, looks like the people you met kept their word. They're asking permission to enter and guard the camp with us," Bellamy stated.

"Permission granted. I need to work quietly in here. Tell Ryder to guard the dropship. Don't let anyone besides the wounded or any kind of medical expert to come in."

"Understood, princess."

Bellamy eyed the Grounders warily. "Clarke's giving you permission to enter. I'm not sure if we can trust you yet, but I trust her judgement."

Lexa hopped off from her large white horse. Anya followed suit from her brown mare. 

Lexa asked calmly, "Does she require assistance?"

"She said only any type of healers are permitted to help her," Bellamy explained.

Lexa nodded and turned towards a muscular man with complex braids. "Nyko, help her."

" _Sha, Heda_."

Bellamy pointed to the dropship. "There's a ladder leading to the second floor."

Anya crossed her arms and observed the camp. "Your people are very lean. Are all _Skai_ people so thin?"

Bellamy shrugged his shoulders. "For the most part, yes."

Raven approached Bellamy and the Grounder General. "I don't know, Bell. Clarke and I are pretty strong."

"For the last time, spacewalker, just because you wore heavy gear on a near daily basis does not mean-"

Raven shrugged off her maroon jacket and lifted up the bottom half of her shirt. Bellamy flinched, "Oh. Nevermind."

"Jealous that I'm more ripped than you, Bell?" 

Anya, Lexa and the remaining Grounders averted their glances. Gustus mumbled something about _goufas_ acting like show offs and stepped away.

Anya cleared her throat, "May we offer food?"

Lexa glanced at the passing delinquents. "Proper nutrition should be provided if you are to survive. Your people appear frail and weak."

"I'll show you 'frail and weak'," Raven mumbled under her breath and followed Gustus.

Bellamy nervously ran a hand through his hair. "She won't act on that, I swear. On behalf of our people, we accept your offer."

Anya mumbled in Lexa's ear, "You provided _Skaikru_ with our best _fisa_ and our strongest warriors. And now you will hunt for the _prisa_. You're welcome."

" _Onya, beja shof op_."

___

"Shit, she passed out again!" Clarke lifted a palm to her face. 

Murphy and Nyko sat next to Charlotte's resting body. 

Nyko spoke softly, " _Klark_ , I'm sorry, but-"

"No," Murphy clenched his jaw, "don't say it."

Clarke ran a wet cloth over the girl's bloody clothes. "She lost so much blood."

Murphy turned towards her, "Wait, would a transfusion work?"

"I was type O, the universal donor type, before the cybernetics took over my bloodstream," Clarke murmured. 

Murphy grasped the blonde's shoulders. "What if you give her your blood?"

"She could die if the cryogenics reject her blood, Murphy." Clarke sought out her friend's eyes with her own, "Her lack of blood wouldn't be able to repair itself in time. She'll be too weak to live through the process."

"She'll also die if we don't do something," Murphy hissed. "I need her, okay? Your stupid plan worked. I spent the whole day showing her how to use my switchblade for self defense. I showed her how to walk lightly on her feet. And she told me about her parents. Do you know how long it's been since I let anyone in? This kid helped me vent, okay? You need to save her."

Clarke smoothed out a tear forming on Murphy's face, "I'll do anything I can to save her." She turned to Nyko, "Give me the green liquid to soothe the wound before I start the transfusion."

Nyko nodded and gave the blonde a small glass jar, similar to the one Lincoln used for Octavia's wounds.

"Thanks, Nyko. I need you to stitch up Harper and the other victims. I'm sure your leader will want to meet with you afterwords."

___

" _Heda_ , I encountered the _Skaiblida_ ," Nyko gasped for breath.

Lexa nodded, "I hope she's doing well."

" _Sha_. But I'm worried. A _gouffa_ lost too much blood. _Klark_ took it upon herself to save her with her own blood." Nyko sighed, "She told _Murfi_ that the child may die if the blue blood rejects her."

Lexa rose an eyebrow, "How would _Klark_ know?"

Bellamy stood between them. "I had to watch her go through multiple injections until her blood and bones completely turned blue."

Anya folded her arms across her chest. "So _prisa_ wasn't born with the blue blood, then?"

"No, but the things that turn it blue only accepted her. The cybernetics rejected the man who was thought to be the receiver of this chip thing. Yet it accepted Clarke."

Lexa gripped her dagger's hilt nervously. "She must be special if she was accepted. But she cares too much. The child may die."

Bellamy sat on a log. "Clarke's heart is as big as her mind. She watched over a few of us in our old home. She's a good leader because of her heart. She's a protector."

___

Clarke passed out from the blood loss. Murphy cut the IV line and the tube. He silently watched over Clarke, Charlotte, and the victims of the Mountain Men. 

The memory of Jake Griffin's body floating through space awakened the blonde only an hour after she passed out. She pressed a hand to Charlotte's head. "She has a fever. She'll live," she mumbled to Murphy. Exhaustion clouded her already naturally raspy voice.

Murphy squeezed her hand. "Thank you. You should get down there and eat. You need it."

Clarke squeezed his hand in return and approached the dropship ladder. She lifted up the ceiling door and slid down the ladder. She stretched out her arms and legs.

"Holy frozen hell, it's cold out here!" she winced from the unexpected chill.

Octavia draped her leather jacket across the blonde's shoulders. "You've been on your feet all day. You need to eat."

Lit torches marked the camp. Grounder warriors guarded the entrance with Bellamy's militia. 

She hissed under her breath when vibrations rumbled through her body. Every step she took, the noise grew louder. "Fucking hell. This can't be happening when I have a migraine."

Octavia guided Clarke to one of the logs facing the campfire. She placed a ceramic plate in the blonde's arms. 

"Turns out these people are great hunters and cooks. Trust me, you'll love it." The brunette squeezed Clarke's shoulders and walked past Lexa.

"Just be careful. She's been tense all day. I don't know how she's even awake," she murmured to Lexa.

Lexa nodded. She swallowed a gulp and approached the campfire.

She spoke rather bluntly to hide her nervousness. "You're the one who crashed in my lands."

Clarke's vibrations ceased, then she understood the reason why her blood rumbled in the first place. She sensed minor vibrations rupturing inside of the tall woman's body. The blonde clasped her cuffed hand around a metal cup of Monty and Jasper's moonshine and slowly drank while she thought of a clever reply.

"You're the one," she released the cup and placed it on the ground, "who sent scouts to spy on my camp. Isn't that right, _Heda_?"

Lexa's breath hitched upon hearing the blonde girl speak. Her voice held hints of exhaustion, but for the most part, it sounded raspy, as if it naturally came to her. The way her own title was spoken sent a jolt through her core.

"Only to ensure you were not an enemy, _Klark kom Skaikru_ , _Klark_ of the Sky People, _Skaiblida, Skai prisa_."

 _Shit. Shit shit shit. Clarke, don't panic, she's just a ridiculously attractive woman who just happens to be someone you're destined to unite with. Oh, fuck, her jawline's perfect. And the way she poses like she owns the world. Daddy as fuck. Wait, what?_?'

" _Klark_? Are you well? _Klark_?"

"Oh, I, uh, sorry, Commander." Clarke turned away and pulled her jacket tightly against herself.

"Don't be. You've had a long day," Lexa sat next to Clarke on the log. The brunette watched the way she shivered from the cold, secretly wishing she would be the one to cause the goosebumps upon her exposed skin.

' _Oh, skrish. Fate is so cruel._ '

Lexa unstrapped her corset waist belt and unbuckled the silver shoulder guard. "You are cold. That's not acceptable."

"Uh, excuse me?" Clarke turned her head once more, then quickly turned away to hide the growing heat marking her face. 

Lexa swallowed a rising knot in her throat and removed the leather jacket from Clarke's shoulders. Lexa draped the coat over the blonde's shoulders. Because of the height difference, the coat appeared to be larger on the slightly shorter blonde.

"I would be a failure of a leader if I allowed my people to go cold."

Clarke stifled another hitch of her breath. She did not expect the fearsome leader of the world to be so smooth, or to be considered as 'her people'.

"Oh, I um, thanks, Commander."

"My name is _Leksa_."

Clarke tested the name in her mouth. "Lexa. _Leksa_."

Lexa clasped the metal can of moonshine from Clarke. She tried not to think of the brief glimpse of the blonde's tattoo, the softness of her skin after accidentally touching it during the coat offering, or the way the girl's mouth wrapped around her name.

And naturally, she failed.

Raven, Anya and Gustus sat together near the dropship's entrance.

Raven's lips tightened into a smirk. "How long will they be oblivious to their obvious attraction to each other?"

Anya crossed her legs. "I'd say about two moons. What about you, _Skai_ girl?"

"An eternity," Raven stated.

Gustus shrugged his broad shoulders. "You're probably not far off. But I'm not sure if the _Skai prisa_ can be trusted."

Anya sighed, "Relax, _Gostos_. No one's seen _Heda_ stumble on herself like this in ages. If Titus is correct, they're supposed to unite anyway."

Raven purred, "Oh, they're definitely going to unite, all right."

" _Shof op, Reivon_. They're going to _jok_."

Gustus groaned, " _Empleni_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chon yu bilaik?- Who are you?
> 
> Gona-Warrior
> 
> Fisas- Healers
> 
> Gonasleng- Warrior language/Maunon language/English
> 
> Trigedasleng- Tree people/Woods Clan language. Universally spoken due to the current Heda's Trikru origins.
> 
> Maunon- Mountain Men
> 
> Ripas- Reapers. Drug-addicted captives of the Mountain Men.
> 
> Skai prisa- Sky princess
> 
> Heda- Commander
> 
> Jus- Blood
> 
> Skaikru- Sky people, sky clan
> 
> Sha- Yes
> 
> Seken- Second, apprentice
> 
> Shof op- Quiet
> 
> Goufas- Children
> 
> Beja- Please
> 
> Skaiblida- Blood of sky, skyblood
> 
> Skrish- Shit
> 
> Jok- Fuck
> 
> Empleni- Enough


End file.
